Eleven computers stolen over Christmas from a council benefits offices did not contain personal information on claimants, officials said today.

Eleven computers stolen over Christmas from a council benefits offices did not contain personal information on claimants, officials said today.

The machines, worth £18,000, were stolen from Fenland council's offices in March on the night of December 20, it has emerged.

But a spokesman said: “All data is held in a central server, and there was no breach of our security.

“It was our first burglary in five years and only the second in 20 years. There are high levels of security at Fenland Hall, the manager was called as soon as the alarm was raised, and the thieves got away with very little.”