Thousands of factory workers - many of them likely to be from the North East - are among the victims of a pension scheme cyber attack which has seen their personal data hacked, it has emerged.

A cyber security expert from Newcastle University last night described the potential consequences of the lost data as "terrifying".

He warned it could lead to loans and credit cards taken out in each of the victims' names - without them even knowing.

Approximately 6,500 members of the British American Tobacco (BAT) UK Pension Fund were among the victims of the Capita cyber attack, according to a letter sent to members seen by The Northern Echo.

The tobacco giant had Rothmans plants at both Darlington and Spennymoor for many years, employing thousands of people at the sites until they closed in the early 2000s.

BAT pension scheme members were informed on March 31 that there was the possibility that personal data may have been taken. 

On May 18, Capita confirmed that more than half of their 10,000 members could have had their National Insurance, tax information or pension details stolen.

BAT scheme members were informed promptly and were advised to take up Capita's offer of a free 12-month use of a service operated by credit score company Experian, to detect possible misuse of personal data.

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One BAT pensioner, who did not want to be named, said she was very worried when she received the letter.

The woman in her 70s, from County Durham, said: "I didn't really understand what it all meant, I had to get my son to explain it.

"Now I'm afraid that somebody could use my details to steal my money - I keep checking my bank account to make sure no money has gone missing.

"I don't use a computer or have an email address, so I didn't know how to get the credit check service.

"My son had to do it for me, I don't know what I would have done without him."

BAT is just one of about 90 organisations understood to have reported breaches of personal data held by Capita. Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide could have been affected by the pension funds hack.

Charles Morisset, professor of cyber security at Newcastle University, highlighted the risks that loss of personal data can pose.

He said: "The value of that personal data which has been lost is huge.

"Losing your social security number and your date of birth means people can impersonate you.

"We can't change our social security number so they have it forever. 

"It could be used to take out a loan or to get a credit card.

"They can max out the credit card and when the bank looks for who it is there is no link back to the thief.

"It's a terrifying prospect.

"People need to understand the risks of what can happen and they also need to know what to do if it does. 

"With some of the other data leaks customers were given one year of identity fraud monitoring.

"Maybe it's something that we should all have?"

Professor Morisset believes that there will be more hacks in future and that it is very worrying.

The Northern Echo: Thousands of pensioners who worked for BAT have had their personal data stolen in a recent hack

He added: "In Italy they have identity cards which are concrete evidence of who you are.

"People here worry about the government collecting too much information about them.

"If these data hacks keep happening maybe that will be reconsidered.

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"Unfortunately, I think is it going to keep happening."

A spokesperson for The Pensions Regulator said: "Any cyber security breach demonstrates the importance of having robust cyber security and business continuity plans in place, which should be part of the internal controls run by any scheme. 

"Scheme trustees should continue to use our guidance on cyber security to check that their own cyber security plans are up to date."

When the Rothmans factory opened in Darlington during the winter of 1976 it was seen as a huge opportunity for the town.

More than 4,500 people from Newcastle down to York applied for the 1,000 jobs available.

Decades later in 2004 it closed its doors for good.

In response to the pension breach, a Capita spokesperson said: “Having taken extensive steps to recover and secure our data, using third party monitoring we still have found no evidence of any information in circulation, on the dark web or otherwise, more than three months after the cyber incident. 

“We are conducting a comprehensive investigation and in line with our previous announcements, we continue to inform those affected by the cyber incident.”