WH Smith has apologised after customers were wrongly emailed other customers' messages sent through the firm's website.

I-subscribe, the company which manages the Swindon-based retailer's magazine subscriptions, has acted to remedy the 'bug' which saw messages incorrectly redirected to other users.

“We have been alerted to a systems processing bug by I-subscribe, who manage our magazine subscriptions," a WH Smith spokesman said.

"It is a bug not a data breach. We can confirm that this has impacted 22 customers who left a message on the ‘Contact Us’ page where this bug was identified, that has resulted in some customers receiving e mails this morning that have been misdirected in error.

"I-subscribe have immediately taken down their ‘Contact Us’ online form which contains the identified bug, while this is resolved.

"I-subscribe are contacting the customers concerned to apologise for this administrative processing error.

"We can confirm that this issue has not impacted or compromised any customer passwords or payment details and we apologise to the customers concerned.”