Coleen Rooney has remained strong in her belief that fellow ‘WAG' Rebekah Vardy has spent years leaking false stories to the press - claims that Vardy strongly denies.

While no one wants to be accused of something they haven't done, it's difficult to stay level-headed when private information is shared without consent.

It's the same in business. Some companies will go to the extreme lengths to keep their secrets safe. Allegedly only two people know KFC's famous 11 herbs and spices - and supposedly they're not permitted to fly on the same plane together.

But leaks do happen. One report discovered that a quarter of staff members would be willing to sell corporate information for as little as £1,000, and that is just those with intention. Phishing scams, social media slip ups, carelessness, and even coercion can lead to an employee sharing a little more than they should.

So, if you suspect something what should you do?

Firstly, I wouldn't suggest a social media post like the infamous statement that brought the defamation case to light.

If you or another employee have a suspicion that a member of staff is leaking information, the first port of call would be to approach the issue in a clear and objective manner and follow the internal complaints procedure as stated in the company's grievance policy.

There will always be a minority of people who are opportunistic, so there should be a shared responsibility between HR and IT on how to deal with such incidents, depending on the severity.

It may help to remind employees that whilst employed, they are under a legal obligation not to disclose confidential information - even if nothing is written within their contract.

However once employment has ended, if there is no contract clause, only high-level trade secrets would be protected.

Research suggests that businesses are more likely to be put at risk by rushed emails and human error than a backhand plot to expose company secrets. 37% of employees say that they don't always check their emails before sending them and almost one in 10 admit to accidentally sending sensitive information such as bank details or customer information in error.

If the worst does happen, make sure you follow procedure. The General Data Protection Regulation requires that you disclose any data breaches to the appropriate authorities within 72 hours.

Mistakes like this are an issue for HR to consider. High pressure workplaces and cultures can result in employees making mistakes due to feeling stressed or overworked. So, before you jump the gun and assign blame, consider how this issue may have happened and what can be done to prevent it happening again in the future.

Kate Palmer is HR Advice and Consultancy Director for Peninsula.