UK government apologises to Elton John after data leak

The British Government has apologised to veteran singer Elton John and other people, who were part of the annual New Year honours list, after inadvertently posting their addresses online.

The list was uploaded on the government website for a brief period of time allowing page visitors to download it as a spreadsheet.

According to Independent, the file contained postcodes and house numbers of nearly every person recognised in the list. It included celebrities such as TV chef Nadiya Hussain and cricketer Ben Stokes, senior politicians including Iain Duncan Smith, as well as senior police officers.

"A version of the New Year Honours 2020 list was published in error which contained recipients' addresses. The information was removed as soon as possible. We apologise to all those affected and are looking into how this happened.

"We have reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office and are contacting all those affected directly," a Cabinet Office spokesperson said.

The annual New Year Honours List recognises outstanding achievements in the worlds of cinema, sport and politics, as well as the contributions of a larger number of everyday citizens

This year's list also included British-born Australian singer and actor Olivia Newton-John, who was made a dame. Among those to be knighted were film directors Sam Mendes and Steve McQueen.