The confidential 60-page sheaf of A4 documents, featured lists of customers of high street bank HSBC.

Among the information contained in the papers were credit card applications and overdraft review dates, photocopies of a passport, driving licences, a marriage certificate, bank account sort codes and account numbers.

The papers, which relate to current bank accounts and applications, were found in a quiet road in Sale by children playing in the street.

One of the victims whose details were found said today: "I can't believe it. The first I knew was when I was contacted by the person who found them. It is unforgivable that the bank would firstly lose such confidential details and then fail to tell its clients what had happened.

"I have been with this bank since I was a young lad and it is very disappointing indeed."

Lynne Stewart, 47, whose children found the documents, has informed the police and is waiting for them to collect them

She said: "I would be extremely worried and angry if I was a customer of theirs because this is just the type of stuff that criminal gangs would love to get their hands on." She has now filled a bag with as many of the computer print-offs she could find, although fears that many more have blown away on the windiest day of the year.

The papers were initially found by her nine-year-old daughter Jessica who then alerted her brother Reece, 12.

Neither understood the significance of the papers – although Mrs Stewart immediately did.

She said: "Reece had been to get his ball back after it had bounced into a sub-station and says he saw a pile on top of the transformer and they were whistling around in the gale.

"But it was Jessica who grabbed one as it blew past her in the street and showed it to me.

"I have counted at least 15 pages of lists of names and account details before you even start to talk about letters applying for credit cards and photo copies of personal documents which people have sent to the bank when they have made these applications.
"I find it very alarming that this kind of information is just blowing about in the street.

"Surely in this day and age when ID fraud is all over the news the bank should be more careful about this information being printed out on paper."

A spokesman for HSBC, which has branches in Mesnes Road and Wallgate, said: "HSBC is investigating the find of documents found in Greater Manchester over the weekend.

"The security of our customers' personal information is of paramount importance and we have stringent procedures in place to guard against
their loss.

"Without speculating on how this occurred, something has clearly gone wrong, and we are extremely disappointed to hear of these particular circumstances.

"When the cause of the incident has been determined, we will be reviewing our processes to ensure this does not happen again."