More than £15,000 worth of staff computers, phones and tablets have not been returned to Hampshire County Council over the past two years.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that 31 laptops, 13 mobile phones and one tablet issued to former employees have gone unaccounted for since 2023. The missing items together are worth £15,140.

Each laptop was valued at £794, adding up to a £10,322 loss, while phones were worth £149 each, and the missing tablet cost £199.

The FOI also asked if any cases were still being investigated or followed up, and the council confirmed that none are outstanding.

The Conservative-led council said it has “robust security measures in place” to protect data and stressed that staff access to IT systems is cut off immediately when they leave the organisation even when items are not returned.

The council said it has 13,000 IT items in circulation and the missing items make up a “very small proportion” of this at around 0.35 per cent.

A spokesperson said: “Recovering equipment is part of our standard leaving process, and the vast majority of staff return all devices. These figures are a snapshot in time and change as recovery efforts continue.”

The council added that in the “rare” instances where equipment is not returned, it follows up with former employees and may take legal action if necessary.

However, officials noted that some cases involve “sensitive circumstances”, such as serious illness or bereavement, and that its approach is always proportionate.