Late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed is at the centre of a police investigation
The Metropolitan Police has apologised after it inadvertently disclosed email addresses of around 140 people who say they were sexually abused by the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
Scotland Yard confirmed to the BBC it copied in all those who had signed up to receive a monthly email update for victims instead of blind copying them.
The update revealed a further three suspects in their 70s and 80s had been interviewed under caution, bringing the total number interviewed to seven.
The force said it had referred itself to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). It is considering providing further support to the victims along with additional safeguards.
The Justice for Fayed and Harrod Survivors group described the incident as "appalling" and requested further information about how the force is strengthening protections for personal data.
A Met Police spokesperson told the BBC a monthly update sent to victims on 11 August regarding Operation Cornpoppy had contained details of progress in the investigation.
Operation Cornpoppy is the Metropolitan Police investigation into people who may have facilitated or enabled sexual offending by Al Fayed.
The spokesperson said: "Due to human error, recipients' email addresses were visible to others on the distribution list. The issue was identified quickly and immediate action was taken.
"We understand the impact this may have on victims and sincerely apologise. Everyone affected was contacted directly on the day of the incident.
"The incident is being investigated as a matter of priority, and we are reviewing our processes to help prevent a similar breach from happening again."
The force said the breach affected victims who had opted in to receive updates from the investigation team, but recipients had been split into smaller groups, meaning email addresses were only visible within those groups rather than across the entire cohort.
The BBC understands around 140 people have signed up to the updates.
The force has previously said 154 victims have reported allegations connected to Al Fayed and that supporting survivors remains at the heart of the investigation.
It said the incident had been formally recorded within the investigation records and they would continue to monitor the circumstances and impact of the breach, including reviewing alternative methods of updating victims that would reduce the risk of human error.
