FOUR centenarians are on a North Yorkshire County Council database of people deemed to be a potential threat to staff.

The elderly service users - who include one 104-years-old - have had their details flagged on an internal register warning staff of a potential risk to their safety.

The council also has six children aged under 10 on the list, which contains a total of 608 names, with 238 marked “do not visit / alone,” according to an investigation by the Press Association using Freedom of Information laws.

A spokeswoman said there were a number of reasons for keeping a list of households that council workers making visits should be alerted about. “These reasons might include safety hazards in the home, dangerous pets, history of violence, racist or homophobic behaviour etc,” she said.

“The county council makes every effort to support the needs of its clients and in doing so it also has a responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of its staff.”

City of York Council has 441 people entered in its staff warning register, of which 161are multi-agency public protection arrangements, with 40 having notes saying “aggressive or threatening in person.”

Pauline Stuchfield, assistant director for health and safety, said the authority simply had to protect its staff when they faced risks in performing their duties, and the list included violent offenders released under licence, people who had threatened or engaged in actual violence towards staff and anyone else who had posed a threat to the safety of colleagues providing services and support across York.

She added that the council took its data protection responsibilities very seriously, continued to safeguard use of confidential information, and followed Information Commissioner’s Office guidance.