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According to reports in the Daily Mail, the four discs contained information on 55 people, including addresses. The CDs were apparently posted on the 15 December, but failed to arrive at their destination.

"They were sent recorded delivery," explains an MoJ spokesperson. "Ministers and the information commissioner were notified immediately when it was recognised that personal data had been lost."

"An investigation is under way so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage," the statement adds.

Last year, a similar incident led to the records of 25 million people going missing, after HM Revenue and Customs sent CDs through the post.

More recently, the theft of a Ministry of Defence laptop led to the loss of recruitment information on 600,000 armed force applicants.