Around 500 hard disk drives and 100 back-up tapes containing the details of 15,000 holders have been magnetically wiped and shredded in line with Cabinet Office rules, and will soon be incinerated.
Home Office minister Damian Green said: "Laying ID cards to rest demonstrates the government's commitment to scale back the power of the state and restore civil liberties."
In a written parliamentary statement it was recently revealed that the destruction of the NIR and the personal data held on the controversial ID card system will cost about £400,000.
This story was first published by Computer Weekly