MOST of us are intelligent enough not to give our account details out to anyone - even if we get one of those fake e-mails purporting to be from the bank.

Many of us have even bought shredders to ensure our bank statements don't end up in the hands of bin raiders trying to steal our identities and then our money.

But thousands of Worcestershire County Council staff are wondering why they bothered being so careful after their employer let their bank details fall into the hands of a thief.

It didn't do it intentionally, of course - but it's certainly culpable for the train of events that resulted in the theft of a laptop on which the information was stored.

Why was such sensitive data being held on a laptop in the first place?

Laptops are, by definition, insecure. They're designed to be portable, so, they get lost and they get stolen.

This isn't the first time a red-faced employee of a firm or a government department has lost a laptop containing important information.

But this surely must be one of the worst cases, given the number of people so directly affected.

As many as 16,000 people are now wondering whether a thief has cracked the password protection on the stolen laptop and is at this very moment scrolling through their name, address and bank details.

The only place this information should have been stored is on a secure computer at County Hall.

If any member of staff finds their bank accounts have been raided, we trust Worcestershire County Council will admit responsibility and take the appropriate action.