According to a report in the Mail on Sunday, up to 250,000 Fans the purchased World Cup tickets through FIFA. via official outlets, are at risk of identity theft and fraud after their details were stolen and resold. It is being reported that details could include highly sensitive information about Prince William, along with players and their families that travelled with official England supporters' groups.

The subject is now a criminal investigation and rumour has it they are focussing on a UK-based firm Byrom, which, through a foreign sub­sidiary, had the official contract to provide tickets for the South African World Cup and several other tournaments.

 The stolen database is understood to have been compiled by FIFA, football’s world governing body, in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

It contains details of more than 35,000 England fans, as well as tens of thousands more supporters from other countries.

The Mail reported that:

The data breach first emerged in Scandinavia where the details of 50,000 Swedish and Norwegian fans were offered for sale.

Among the details were those of former Swedish Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson and former Minister of Integration Jens Orback.

Mr Orback said: ‘I don’t like this at all. As a former government minister, this is also a security issue.’

But it quickly emerged that the data breach was far more widespread and included the details of nearly 20,000 American citizens, 36,000 Swiss nationals, 42,000 Portuguese and 36,000 Dutch fans, as well as thousands more supporters from Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Croatia.

It is believed the information sold for £500,000.