Just Eat customers' details dumped in Cleveleys alley as data watchdog warns of GDPR breach

The Just Eat tickets, which were from more than one particular takeaway and showed full names and addresses, were fly-tipped in the Beach Road alley.

It sparked concern from local councillors and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which said it was a breach of confidentiality laws.

The data watchdog said: "All organisations have a duty to keep personal data secure, whether in electronic or paper format. Anyone who is concerned about how their personal data has been handled can contact the ICO.

"Where necessary we will take proportionate action, which can range from giving advice to fines."

One local, who asked not to be named, said: "Fly-tipping is bad enough but there are peoples' names and addresses on those receipts.

"This is personal information so it's completely irresponsible of whoever has dumped all this rubbish to be leaving it lying around. Anyone could find it."

Addressing potential concerns about privacy from residents, Coun Rob Fail, councillor for Jubilee ward, said: "There’s never an excuse to fly tip, but the rubbish strewn across the alleyway is predominantly stuff that could have gone in the grey bin. Refuse collections have continued throughout the current crisis so it really is bewildering.

"I understand some of the rubbish contained personal information which should have been shredded and placed in the blue bin, but hopefully council officers can trace the culprit and take the necessary action."

Just Eat, a food order and delivery service, works with over 30,000 takeaways and restaurants around the UK.

It said it takes data breaches "very seriously" and pledged to now launch a probe.

"We take the safeguarding of customer data extremely seriously, and expect the restaurants we work with to do the same," it said.

“While incidents such as this are extremely rare, whenever we are made aware of anything which falls below our expected standards of behaviour, our restaurant compliance team will always investigate and take action as appropriate.”

Although the receipts were still visible when The Gazette visited the alleyway, Wyre Council claimed there was no evidence of personal data when workers arrived to clear the waste.

A spokesman said: "Our officers attended an incident to fly tipping on June 16 following a report from a member of the public.

"Upon arrival, the member of the public that reported the incident had begun to clear away the waste and our officers assisted in removing one black bin bag of waste.

"There was no evidence of names and addresses on the waste that our crews removed, however, our officers are carrying out a duty of care call to determine who is removing the waste from the commercial outlets."