TWO Hampshire police workers have been sacked following separate incidents in which they handed out secret information from the force's computer database.

Police chiefs described the information as highly sensitive and said both leaks related to ongoing investigations and could have seriously jeopardised them.

The incidents came to light within a month of the force setting up a specialist internal intelligence cell aimed at rooting out police staff who engage in illegal or unethical behaviour.

The two employees, a police officer and a civilian worker, have now been dismissed from their posts with the officer also receiving a police caution.

Yesterday the force refused to reveal exact details about what had been revealed and to who, though bosses did say the information had not been sold to criminal underworld gangs and nor did it relate to controversial secret data, such as the whereabouts of convicted paedophiles.

The constabulary also claimed neither of the leaks had put other people at risk, but said any leak from the force's computers was considered extremely sensitive and was treated with the utmost gravity.