Plans to privatise security at the Shipley tax office which handles the Queen’s accounts will create an even greater risk at what is already one of the country’s top ten terrorist targets, say unions.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has warned that privatisation will mean fewer staff on each security shift and less stringent checks on staff appointed as security guards.

More than 1,000 staff work at the accounts office site, which holds vast amounts of sensitive information and has daily responsibility for collecting about £200 million in payments to the Treasury.

The PCS fears that privatisation will lead to job losses and compromise the current high security protecting thousands of taxpayers’ details – including those of the Queen.

Ministers recently approved proposals to go ahead with the privatisation of security rather than having it done “in house”.

Union members took to the streets yesterday in a leafleting campaign urging the Government to drop the proposals. They asked the public to sign a petition in support at Shipley’s Market Square.

Beth Baker, HMRC Shipley PCS branch chairman, told the Telegraph & Argus: “We in Shipley accounts office have a right to come to work knowing that our working environment remains safe, and is not likely to be compromised by these Government proposals.

“It is one of the top ten terrorist targets and we have previously had incidents that have been professionally dealt with by HMRC security staff.

“In the current climate, it makes no sense that the Government would want to put staff, confidential data and income at risk.”

Shipley is one of 19 offices in the UK affected by the plans. Some HM Revenue and Customs, including Bradford’s tax office, have already been privatised under the Government cost-cutting measures.

Privatisation goes against the findings of the Poynter Review, which was started following the loss of child benefit data discs last autumn, the union said.

Mrs Baker said: “Where sites have already been privatised there are serious concerns over relaxed security recruitment procedures.”

No-one would formally confirm the Queen’s tax returns are handled at the Shipley office, but Mrs Baker said: “We deal with a lot of sensitive information from very high profile people.”

HMRC spokesman Dave Gostelow said: “HMRC is fully committed to ensuring the security and integrity of its estate and must do this in a way which represents best value for money. “Our priority remains to ensure the department has high-quality manned guarding services in place. The majority of this service is already provided by external suppliers at HMRC sites. We are exploring outsourcing of the remaining in-house service at this stage.”

e-mail: marc.meneaud @telegraphandargus.co.uk