Almost half of all PSNI officers have expressed an interest in pursing legal action over data breach

​By Tuesday afternoon, 3,269 officers had expressed an interest in seeking compensation.

It has been reported that several employees are considering moving house over fears their personal security has been compromised.The current threat level has been assessed by the security services as ‘severe,’ meaning terrorist attacks are highly likely.

In February this year dissident republicans, understood to have been working with an organised crime gang, attempted to murder an off-duty senior PSNI detective John Caldwell in Omagh.On Monday, Police Federation chair Liam Kelly said confirmation that the leaked data was in the hands of dissident republicans came as no surprise.

However, he added: “It makes it all the more imperative for each and every colleague to exercise maximum vigilance. We must do all we can to frustrate and prevent attacks on our colleagues and their families.

“Our men and women are resilient and resourceful. They must call on all their training and professionalism to counter this ugly consequence of a monumental data breach."

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: “The UK government remains committed to providing specialist support and expertise, and I know that PSNI and security partners will continue to take proportionate action to protect officers and staff and their families.”

Former Irish premier Bertie Ahern said he does not understand how the details of PSNI officers and staff were all kept in one system.

“I don’t get it – how 10,000 people were all in one system, particularly intelligence people – but I’m sure that will all come out in the wash,” he told the Newstalk radio programme.

While the investigation into the data breach is ongoing, the PSNI has removed all of its previously published Freedom of Information responses from the force’s website.

An online notice states: “The FOI disclosure log is currently unavailable due to our ongoing review following the data breach”.