The errors are contained in vetting checks meaning many may have been unfairly turned down for jobs or had their reputations shattered.

In at least 3,000 cases the police record of an entirely different person was passed on while more than 3,500 people discovered their entries on the police national computer (PNC) were inaccurate.

It means people are linked with crimes they never committed or have more serious offences than put against them than they committed.

It also raises the prospect that genuine criminals slip through the net if incorrect records are attached to their names.

Background checks are regularly carried out for employment applications and details can be sent directly to current or potential employers.

Those wrongly accused will almost certainly include people applying for posts such as teachers, nurses and care homes.

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