A personal computer holding sensitive documents relating to defence and extremism has been stolen from Hazel Blears' constituency office in Salford.

The theft may mean the communities secretary has broken rules on the handling of restricted government information, the BBC has learned.

The machine contained a combination of constituency and government information which should not have been held on it.

Manchester Police are investigating the theft, which took place on Saturday.

The restricted documents included papers relating to defence and extremism, but they did not contain any information that could compromise national security.

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They also contained information that shows Cabinet members disagree over the government's proposed planning laws.

Restricted government documents should not be held on a personal computer. Nothing else was taken from the office.

This is the latest in a series of security breaches that have embarrassed the government.

Just last week a cabinet official was suspended for leaving top secret documents on a train.

Another file of documents, including one restricted one, was found on another train, also last week.

But previous security lapses have all been made by unidentified civil servants.

A security breach in a cabinet minister's office is doubly embarrassing for the government.

(BBC)

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