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Many Lives are in Danger, Many Questions to be Asked, and Answers to be Told.

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DATA DISASTER

Our lives have been shattered by PSNI data breaches, says former officer

  • Published: 14:05, 11 Aug 2023
  • Updated: 14:07, 11 Aug 2023

A FORMER PSNI officer married to a member of the force told how their lives have been shattered by the two data breaches.

The anonymous ex-cop was unable to sleep after news broke that personal details of all NI police officers and staff had been accidentally published, and her medication for PTSD has been increased as a result.

An ex-cop told how their lives have been shattered by the two data breaches
An ex-cop told how their lives have been shattered by the two data breachesCredit: Paul Faith/PA Wire
The PSNI mistakenly shared details about 10,000 of its employees on Tuesday
The PSNI mistakenly shared details about 10,000 of its employees on TuesdayCredit: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

More than 10,000 officers and civilian staff have been affected and hundreds have already raised safety concerns following the major security mix-up.

Under pressure PSNI chief Simon Byrne said dissidents now claim to have secured details on cops across the North and has issued a grovelling apology, but insists he has no plans to quit.

The unidentified woman – who left the police due to post-traumatic stress disorder and still checks under her car every day – found out about the massive data scare via WhatsApp.

She told the BBC: “The first I heard about it was the other day on WhatsApp before my husband had even got in from w

“I told him [about the breaches] – which is ridiculous, bearing in mind I’m retired now.”

She revealed that she retired from the force due to PTSD from incidents experienced in the course of her job.

“I served for many, many years in some volatile areas and took my personal safety very seriously.

“Even to this day I still check under my car,” she said.

The retired officer said the news had heightened her fears for herself and her family.

She said: “We were always looking over our shoulder but now even more so.

“I didn’t sleep on Tuesday night. I really wasn’t very good at all.

“I had to go back to my doctor – they prescribed me more diazepam.

“It’s just the impact – all of a sudden I feel like I’m back in the job again and that really isn’t good for me.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) mistakenly shared details about 10,000 of its employees on Tuesday.

Details of a second data breach from July emerged less than 24 hours later.

Meanwhile the DUP’s Ian Paisley has written to the Speaker of the House of Comments demanding Parliament be recalled to debate the data breach crisis.

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