Police in Northern Ireland are convinced that extremists are in possession of police officers’ personal data that was accidentally leaked last week. The leak includes first names, last names, locations and the police stations they serve in. The details were mistakenly included in a response document from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which was posted online for around two hours before the error was caught.

Despite the 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of bloody conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Irelandpolice officers are still sporadically targeted by dissidents who have not abandoned their armed action.

“We are convinced that the potential evidence has fallen into the hands of dissident republicans,” PSNI chief Simon Byrne told a news conference. “Therefore, we believe they will use this list to spread fear and uncertainty, as well as to intimidate or target law enforcement officers and members,” he added.

An extract from the leaked document – without the names of the officers – was posted today alongside a photo of Gerry Kelly, the Sinn Fein MP (the former political wing of the IRA), on a wall opposite his Belfast office.

The PSNI has taken extra security measures for officers whose details were leaked. Simon Byrne stressed that none of them have left the body because of the leak, expressing confidence that the British government will cover the financial costs of strengthening security measures in Northern Ireland.