Capita computer systems crash amid fears of potential cyber attack

Outsourcing group Capita revealed on Friday that computer systems had come to an abrupt halt, set off fears it could potentially be under cyber-attack.

Capita staff was said to have been unable to access IT systems, with an early investigation yet to determine the cause.

According to the Times, a Capita spokesperson said: "We are aware of a technical issue with our systems, which we are investigating."

The outage will likely be of concern to Downing Street due to Capita holding contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds with the UK government.

Capita manages primary care support services for the NHS, recruitment for the British army, maintenance at Britain's Submarine Training Centre, and fire and rescue operations for the Ministry of Defence.

It also operates Transport for London's road charging system, covering the city's congestion charge and ultra-low emissions zone, as well as the Department for Work and Pensions' disability payment assessments and a contract with HM Revenue and Customs to automate certain processes.

As of 1330 BST, Capita shares were down 2.64% at 37.62p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com