Serious Potential Security Breach
This could be very bad. Very, very bad indeed. The information coming out about it is sketchy to say the least, but that's to be expected in this sort of situation. The police can't give too much away about what's been lost, but the implications for intelligence led policing strategies could be calamitous.
ILP (Intelligence Led Policing) often requires historic data to help establish patterns which are very important in a lot of criminal investigations. Such strategies have been enormously effective in nipping potentially serious crimes in the bud.
The loss of DNA data alone - if what is being reported is accurate - has major implications not only for investigations, but also possibly for getting convictions for cases being considered for charges, or even due to go to trial. It really is that serious.
Other things that could be affected would include data held on sex offenders, terrorists and terrorist suspects, murders and rapes. Historic records and current investigations could be compromised.
Hopefully the data can be recovered. Yes, there are backups but it isn't being revealed yet whether they were lost too.
True to form, Home Secretary Priti Patel is already ducking for cover. She's left this for Kit Malthouse, her deputy, to deal with. What's the betting if anybody takes the rap for this, she'll make sure it isn't her.
When leadership and taking responsibility are required, she's nowhere to be found.
And finally.......... why is the Guardian the only newspaper covering this on their website ....? At the time of writing this, the "Usual Suspects" don't have this on their front page, or any other page come to that.