Thief snatches school snapper's SD cards in smash & grab

A smash-and-grab theft targeting a photographer’s vehicle at a UK secondary school has raised concerns about the security of pupils’ data. Priory School in Lewes received notification from a hired photography company, Pret-a-Portrait, about the theft of an SD card bag containing memory cards on October 6-7. The stolen cards may have stored photos taken at Priory School, as well as QR code cards with pupils’ names and class information.

Headteacher Jon Curtis-Brignell emphasized that the stolen equipment was also used for three other photography jobs after the school visit on October 1. Pret-a-Portrait confirmed they believe most, if not all, of the data has been overwritten, but could not guarantee this. The headteacher assured families that no evidence suggests the information has been accessed or misused, and the school has taken steps to mitigate the potential damage, including taking all school photos offline and changing procedures for SD card handling.