Sir, - Every two years the Audit Commission carries out a data matching exercise. It compares sets of data provided by a range of agencies, including the district council, as part of work to prevent and detect fraud.

This year Hambleton was required to provide information from its lists for housing benefits, creditor and payroll, market traders, taxi licensing, private licences to supply alcohol, concessionary fares and insurance claims.

As a result some of the names were on more than one list and received multiple letters informing them of the exercise.

Additionally some duplicate letters were issued after a technical glitch during printing.

The council would like to apologise to people who have received duplicate letters and particularly for the distress caused to families where letters were addressed to the deceased.

It is something we will work hard to ensure does not happen again. And we want to assure people that their personal details are safe.

PETER SIMPSON Chief executive, Hambleton District Council.