Firm prosecuted for data protection failure

An accounting firm has been successfully prosecuted for failing to notify the Information Commissioner's Office that they processed client information electronically, an issue raised in Accountancy Age last year.

Acorn Accounting of Leeds was fined £300 and ordered to pay a contribution to costs of £150 by Leeds Magistrates.

In addition, its officers Ashfaq Anjum, Yusuf Badat and Asud Iqbal also pleaded guilty to the offences under Section 17 of the Data Protection Act and were each fined £200 and ordered to pay contributions of £150 to prosecution costs.

Accountancy Age revealed last year that the ICO was targeting a potential 10,000 accounting firms that had not registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.

'This prosecution will remind accountancy firms of their obligations to notify and to ensure that any personal information is held securely, is accurate, up-to-date and is processed fairly,' said ICO solicitor Philip Taylor.

Most organisations that hold personal data are required to notify the ICO under the DPA because they are holding personal data. There are certain exemptions that exist for bodies only processing personal data for staff administration, accounts, advertising, marketing and public relations.