PAPERS containing personal and financial information found abandoned in a disused Salisbury car showroom have been collected by the police.

When the Journal was alerted to the existence of the papers at the Autecnique showroom, London Road, the police were contacted and officers promptly attended to pick them up and ensure no information remained that could get into the wrong hands.

The papers, which were found spilling out of a cupboard, contained customers’ bank account details, hire purchase agreements, phone numbers and previous addresses, as well as company bank details in some cases.

Ann Metsoja, 57, director of Integra Training and Consultancy in Salisbury, was shocked to discover details about her, her husband and their company had been abandoned at the site and came into the Journal offices to collect them.

“We did wonder when we read the story, but thought that it was such a long time ago we had anything to do with Autecnique,” she said.

“It surprises me that that would have happened because they were a very trustworthy, excellent garage,” she added.

The papers were spotted by photography student Sonja Barnfield who was taking pictures of the garage for a college project.

Autecnique was closed at the end of 2006 and it is believed the then owner moved to Kenya. According to the Land Registry the buildings are now owned by a company called M7 Developments, based in Milton Keynes.

The Journal has been unable to contact the firm and the police are also trying to get in touch in order to ask that something be done to secure the site.

Sgt Richard Goodman of Salisbury Police said the force’s main concern is that vandalism to the building has made it potentially dangerous to enter, and warned people to stay away.