Councils across the county have made more than £82,000 in the last five years by selling people's names and addresses to third parties.

KentOnline asked all 13 councils in Kent to reveal how much money each made by selling information from the electoral roll over the period.

Ashford Borough Council did not respond to the request for information and neither did Thanet District Council nor Dartford Borough Council.

However, the 10 others did respond and many sold electoral role data to various companies including credit reference agencies like Experian and Crediva and Equifax as well as political parties and other businesses.

In total, over the five year period, the councils sold the information for £82,733.62 with Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council earning the most from the practice, by raking in £12,632.

Canterbury City Council were next to profit from the sales by making £10,756.50 over the five-year period and Medway Council came third by making £10,564.66.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council say the money they make is used to offset the cost of the administration of the electoral register.

A spokesman added: “The sale and supply of the electoral register is set out in legislation and all electoral registration officers across the country are required to comply with that legislation and guidance.

"Our understanding is that the data is bought by the credit reference agencies to confirm a person’s address.

"Also, due to the checks made to identify a person when they register now, it is another form of defence against potential fraud.

"The money accrued from the sale of the register goes directly to the Electoral Registration budget and is used to offset the cost of the administration of the Electoral register.”

Cllr Rupert Turpin who is head of business management at Medway Council said: "There are very strict controls on what we can actually do with this data.

"First of all its only name and address and secondly we can only sell it to a limited number of organisations such as credit reference agencies because people need to get credit and they need to get mortgages and for that reason to ascertain certain things about their past.

"All political parties can have the data. It tells you who has voted in the past and what election so we have an idea who is likely to vote in an election and who is not likely to vote.

"So that's just usual information and is fair to all parties."

Full and open registers do not show that people have voted. Cllr Turpin is referring to the marked register which political parties can buy after an election.

The fees charged for the open register are set out in the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 (Regulations 110 and 111). Data copy is sold for a £20 administration fee plus £1.50 per 1,000 entries or part thereof, and ordering a paper copy costs a £10 administration fee plus £5 per 1,000 entries or part thereof.

Dover District Council netted £5,855.50 from the practice while Folkestone and Hythe District Council made £8,555.20

Elsewhere, Gravesham Borough Council raked in £9,842.95 and Maidstone Borough Council made £7,349.31

Sevenoaks Council made £331.50 from eight sales but did not give a breakdown of who they sold the data too, however a spokesman added: "Under current legislation, open register or extracts of the open register are available for sale on request.

"Eight copies or part copies of the open register have been sold since 2015 to eight separate companies or individuals."

Swale Borough Council netted £8,147 and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council made £8,699 during the period.

A spokesman for Experian added: "The information we use from the electoral roll is vital for people to access everyday services.

"We use it to help companies verify people’s identities and confirm they live where they say they do.

"In turn, companies can seamlessly provide people with mobile phone contracts, insurance and accountancy services, or approve mortgage applications.”