Brits are 'risking identity theft'

Millions of Britons are leaving themselves open to identity fraud by carrying an extensive range of sensitive information around on their person, it has been revealed.

A survey conducted by Capital One found that 46 million Brits - 93 per cent of the adult population - typically have sufficient data in their possession to allow a criminal to steal their identities.

Specifically, the research shows that 43.5 million people carry around credit and/or debit cards; 24.5 million carry around their driving licence; 23.5 million are in possession of old receipts; one million keep bank statements on their person and four million their medical records.

The dangers of this practice have been highlighted by Martin Gill, a criminologist from Perpetuity, a division of the University of Leicester.

"Identity theft is a serious issue, and one that can leave us exposed to a range of crimes," he commented.

"Would-be thieves only need a few snippets of information to start stealing an identity.

"By getting hold of personal information such as our address, bank details and date of birth a canny criminal can begin to create chaos within a matter of hours - applying for credit cards, securing loans, buying a mobile phone, applying for benefits for example - all under the stolen identity."