The UK Ministry of Defence is conducting an investigation after a set of documents containing sensitive military information was found discarded on the street. The papers, some marked as "Official – Sensitive," were partially visible from a black trash bag in the Scotswood area of Newcastle on March 16, according to the British news agency PA Media.
The BBC reported that the documents include details on "soldier ranks, shift patterns, email addresses, weapon issue records, and information on access to military facilities." The network added that the documents appear to be related to units stationed at Catterick Garrison.
Among the documents was a paper reportedly titled "Armoury Keys and Codes ADS," which is believed to refer to the Armoury Surveillance and Intruder System.
The documents were discovered by Mike Gebhard, a football fan from Gateshead, who stumbled upon them while parking his car before the English Football League Cup final match (Carabao Cup) between Newcastle United and Liverpool.
Government guidelines indicate that some "Official-Sensitive" documents could pose a "threat to life" if exposed.