PERSONAL details of ambulance service staff in Hampshire were published online, it has been revealed.

The error by South Central Ambulance Service included publishing details of employees’ age and sexuality on its website.

The breach affected all 2,826 staff employed by the service, which covers Hampshire, as well as Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The details were attached to a report on its website, published in October 2013. The service said it was made aware of the breach by the Information Commissioner’s Office on April 24, and took “immediate action” to remove the personal data.

The statement read: “All affected individuals, including current and past members of staff were informed of this breach in a personal letter from the chief executive officer.

“An investigation is underway into the circumstances around this incident, using an external information governance auditor.

“We have undertaken a thorough review of all our published information on the website (over 2,000 documents) and we can confirm that this was the only document affected.”

The service said it was co-operating fully with an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office and has drafted an action plan to mitigate the risk of the breach happening again.

The information was not patient or clinically-related, it added.

The private information was revealed following a Freedom of Information request made by BBC Radio Berkshire.