A former British Paratrooper who spent more than a decade serving in numerous operations across Afghanistan has warned that the data breach will pose a security threat for years to come.

Hundreds of Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breaches have been revealed as questions intensify over its ability to keep sensitive information safe in the wake of the Afghan data leak.The latest MoD figures show there were 569 incidents in 2023-24 – up from 550 the previous year – which included electronic devices being lost and protected documents not being disposed of properly.

Taliban warlords have embarked on a campaign of killings against Afghans after the British Government lost a top-secret database of those who helped the UK during the war in the Middle East.

Lawyers say they expect Afghans who supported British forces and had their details exposed in a catastrophic Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach to receive compensation "in the thousands". Law firm Leigh Day says "dozens" of people looking to make a claim are getting in touch every day after finding out their details were included in the accidental leak which only became public knowledge after an unprecedented superinjunction was lifted on Tuesday.

In his first comments since news of an unprecedented superinjunction was made public, the ex-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said his focus was on 'sorting out the mess and saving lives'

The Labour peer says the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle should have insisted that the Intelligence and Security Committee were told of the leak.

James Heappey said claims he had backed a ‘new entitlement’ for people affected by the breach but not eligible for other schemes were ‘untrue’.

Former Armed Forces minister James Heappey has shared the "gut-wrenching" moment he learned of the Afghan data leak, admitting the previous government "let the country down badly" in a long apology.