A disgraced councillor found guilty of a racist assault has now lost his council laptop containing sensitive information about Sutton residents.

Former Liberal Democrat Councillor Stephen Fenwick, who represents Worcester Park, reported his laptop stolen on Friday after he lost it on the London Underground earlier in the week.

The laptop is one that was given to him by Sutton Council for his casework.

It is likely to contain sensitive information sent to him by residents about issues they have asked him to help with although a council spokesman said any information on the laptop is encrypted.

Your Local Guardian: Sutton Council loses personal data in series of blunders

The spokesman added: "On Friday, Coun Stephen Fenwick reported that his laptop had been stolen whilst he was travelling on a train.

"He has filed a security incident report as required.

"The computer is encrypted which protects data from unauthorized access."

Coun Fenwick was convicted of racially aggravated assault in March after he drunkenly brawled with a barman at Charing Cross station in London in January.

During the exchange he told the eastern European barman to go home and called him a migrant.

Coun Fenwick was handed a 12-month conditional discharge meaning he will not face punishment unless he commits another crime in the next year.

He has been stripped of the Liberal Democrat whip meaning he is now an independent councillor. It is not clear if he will stand at the council elections in May as he will have to meet the costs himself.

This newspaper has tried on several occasions to interview Coun Fenwick but all attempts have failed.

He was due to appear at a council meeting last week but sent apologies for his absence.

This is not the first time Sutton people's information has been lost in a similar fashion.

In 2009, the Information Commissioner's Office took the council to task after two unencrypted laptops containing sensitive data about children and adults receiving care went missing.


TODAY'S TOP STORIES