A magistrate's daughter and A-grade student was wrongly branded a convicted drug user and con artist after applying for a job.

A routine security check by her employers showed up a string of drug offences and fraud had been recorded against Jennifer Stead's name in the Criminal Records Bureau register, which is operated by the Home Office.

And the 19-year-old, who was a pupil at the Girls Grammar School, in Bradford, might have to have her fingerprints taken so she can clear her name.

Now her angry father - Bradford magistrate John Stead - is demanding an apology and warning others that it could happen to them.

"Jennifer is being treated like a criminal," said her father, John Stead.

Her employers, at the Field Studies Council outdoor adventure base in Castlehead, in the Lake District, knew Jennifer well enough to spot the mistake and ignored the bureau's report, he said.

"But the point is this mistake could easily happen again and it could affect Jennifer's career," said Mr Stead, 58, of Odsal.

"They've obviously got her mixed up with someone else but it's not on and this should not be allowed to happen."

Jennifer has a place from September at the University of Northumbria, in Newcastle, to study physiotherapy.

"The university will also have to do a background check on Jennifer because for her degree she will be working with members of the public and if this happens again it could ruin her future," said father-of-two Mr Stead, who runs his own landfill consultancy business.

His wife, Linda, who is head of geography and Year 11 at the Girls Grammar School, Bradford, contacted the Criminal Records Bureau and was told Jennifer would have to submit her details and photographs.

Mr Stead said the bureau had not even apologised for the error.

"It's annoying and very frustrating," he said. "It also makes you think 'What if this happened the other way round and someone with a record managed to get a job they should not be doing?'" he said.

A bureau spokesman said he could not discuss individual cases but said in a small percentage of cases - 0.04 per cent - the criminal conviction information given was disputed.

"It is worth noting that under previous police-checking arrangement individuals were not able to see the information disclosed about them," he said.

"The CRB has an established procedure to deal with disputes as it is not only very important to provide the correct criminal conviction information about individuals but it is also important for the protection of children and vulnerable adults to ensure individuals do not fraudulently try to claim they have no criminal convictions when in fact they have."

He said fingerprints could be taken to prove someone's identity to resolve disputes.