UK military says 3 disks of soldiers' data lost

Computer disks that went missing from a British military base contain sensitive data on Royal Air Force personnel who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain's Ministry of Defense said Sunday.

A ministry spokesman said Sunday two of the three portable hard disks contain personal data on RAF members while the third disc holds no information on individuals.

The discs went missing Sept. 17 from a secured area in Innsworth, about 113 miles west of London, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity, in line with government policy.

The discs appear to have been stolen, the ministry said, but added that they have no indication the thieves intended to use the information.

The ministry has set up a telephone hot line and e-mail address for any former and present RAF members who are concerned about the thefts.

The British government has been hit by a series of embarrassing losses of sensitive data. In January, the Ministry of Defense said a laptop containing the personal details of 600,000 new and prospective military recruits was stolen, and in November a government department lost a disk that contained the names, addresses and bank details of 25 million people. Salon