A data security blunder has been labelled “appalling” by a Bradford councillor after confidential personal information was sent by mistake to a Bradford business.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) files give sensitive details – including the names, dates of birth, driving licence numbers and educational history – of 27 National Insurance number applicants.

But instead of reaching their intended destination, they were sent by a TNT courier to colleagues of Bingley Conservative Councillor David Heseltine at a Bradford engineering firm.

And Shipley MP Philip Davies said it was the latest in a catalogue of “appalling” data breaches made by Government departments.

He is now demanding answers from Government Work and Pensions Minister James Purnell as to how the mix-up happened.

Coun Heseltine was accidentally sent the documents at his work on Thursday.

He said: “These are applications for National Insurance numbers. It is personal data, so it is just scandalous that they have been sent here.

“It is just one breach after another. This is not a large amount of personal details but it could be next time.”

Councillor Heseltine said he had not looked in detail at the files but said they had been mainly from applicants in South Yorkshire.

People need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number if they are claiming benefits, starting a new job or setting up their own businesses, according to advice from a Government website.

Advice on the Directgov website about applying for NI numbers, reads: “Keep this number safe as it can be used by criminals to steal your identity.”

Following the latest data breach, Coun Heseltine said: “Being good, honest Bradford folk, we have told TNT and DWP we have got the files and they said they would come and pick them up but I can’t say the same would have happened if someone else had found them.”

MP Philip Davies said: “Government departments have been responsible for an absolute catalogue of breaches of people’s personal information. Every single time it happens, we are assured that measures are being taken to make sure it never happens again and every time, it does.

“Fortunately, this information has been sent to David Heseltine.

“If it had been sent to someone unscrupulous, it could have been very, very serious.”

He added: “I will be very happy to take this appallingly lax situation up with the relevant minister.”

A DWP spokesman said: “We have arranged for the data to be recovered and we will be seeking an urgent explanation from TNT into how this has happened and what steps they will be taking to ensure this does not happen again.”

A TNT spokesman said: “TNT can confirm Department of Work and Pensions documents were incorrectly delivered to Norman Haynes Ltd, Bradford, on February 26.

“The company takes all instances of mis-delivery extremely seriously and is working closely with its partners at the DWP to establish why this isolated incident occurred.

“Once TNT was alerted, the consignment in question was collected and returned to the DWP by 1.30pm on February 27.

“Annually TNT securely delivers more than 100 million items,” the spokesman added.

e-mail: marc.meneaud @telegraphandargus.co.uk