The Cabinet Office has apologised after a list of the home addresses of New Year Honours recipients, including police officers, politicians and celebrities, was accidentally posted online.
A spokesman said: “A version of the New Year Honours 2020 list was published in error which contained recipients’ addresses.
“The information was removed as soon as possible.
“We apologise to all those affected and are looking into how this happened.
“We have reported the matter to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) and are contacting all those affected directly.”
The list saw awards given to England’s Cricket World Cup winners, top entertainers including Sir Elton John, and prominent figures from politics and the legal profession.
Among them were the former director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders and ex-Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, the architect of the Universal Credit system, whose knighthood sparked a backlash from critics.
Britain has recognised its film-directing and cricketing stars in the list, with a damehood for Olivia Newton-John and knighthoods for Sam Mendes, Steve McQueen and cricketer Clive Lloyd.
Honours also go to Ashes hero Ben Stokes, his captain Joe Root and footballer Jill Scott.
Singer Elton John, who was knighted in 1998, becomes a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to music.
British-born Australian singer and actress Newton-John, 71, is probably best-known for the 1978 musical Grease in which she sang the duet “You’re the One that I Want” with John Travolta which became one of the world’s best-selling singles.
Mendes, 54, directed the Skyfall and Spectre James Bond movies while McQueen, 50, won the 2014 Best Picture Oscar for his film 12 Years a Slave. He becomes a Knight Bachelor, awarded by the Foreign Office in recognition of outstanding service to Britain internationally and overseas.
Lloyd, 75, was a middle-order batsman and captain of the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 at a time when the team reached the peak of its powers.
CBEs – Commander of the Order of the British Empire – go to sitcom actress Wendy Craig, 85; England limited-over cricket captain Eoin Morgan, 33, and broadcaster Annie Nightingale, 79.
OBEs – Order of the British Empire – are awarded to Australian Trevor Bayliss, 57, the former England cricket head coach; wine writer Oz Clarke, 80; Welsh taekwondo world champion Jade Jones; Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody and racing-horse trainer Paul Nicholls, 57.
OBEs also go to broadcaster June Sarpong, 42; food writer Nigel Slater and to Stokes, 28, who was man of the match as England won the Cricket World Cup for the first time this year and hit an unbeaten 135 in his side’s epic third Ashes Test triumph against Australia.
MBEs – Members of the Order of the British Empire – go to Root, 28, who was made England cricket captain in 2017; England and Manchester City women’s team midfielder Scott, 32; TV chef Ainsley Harriott, 62, and fashion expert Gok Wan, 45.
The New Year’s honours have been awarded since Queen Victoria’s reign in the 19th century and aim to recognise not just well-known figures but those who have contributed to national life through often selfless and unsung contributions over many years.
