I’ve testified and written several times about how such things as REAL ID and “electronic employment eligibility verification” are threats to our identity system. Collecting identity information in one place is the creation of new security risks. Now the UK has proven it - so we don’t have to!

The sensitive personal details of 25 million Britons could have fallen into the hands of identity fraudsters after a government agency lost the entire child benefit database in the post.A major police investigation is being conducted after Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, admitted yesterday that names, addresses, birth dates, national insurance numbers and bank account details of every child benefit claimant in the country had gone missing.

Most likely, this data is just lost, but in the wrong hands it would provide criminals all they need to impersonate any of these 25 million people.

The persons responsible have been sacked. Specifically, Paul Gray, chairman of HM Revenue & Customs office.