A laptop containing the names, addresses and bank details of some 10,000 NHS employees has been stolen from a building in Truro, Cornwall.

The hospital immediately notified its employees, and the police who are investigating the theft. It is also subject to an internal investigation.

'The building was locked and alarmed, and was forcibly entered,' said a spokesman for The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust. 'No patient information was stored on the computer.'

It is believed the theft was opportunistic and not for the purpose of obtaining the information stored on the computer, but as a precaution staff have been advised to contact their banks to advise them of the theft and to consider registration with a fraud prevention service.

A recent survey from the European Commission found that 84 per cent of UK respondents said they would want to be notified if a breach resulted in their personal data being lost.