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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Secret terror files left on train | Secret terror files left on train |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Police are investigating a "serious" security breach after a civil servant lost top-secret documents containing the latest intelligence on al-Qaeda. | Police are investigating a "serious" security breach after a civil servant lost top-secret documents containing the latest intelligence on al-Qaeda. |
| The unnamed Cabinet Office employee apparently breached strict security rules when he left the papers on the seat of a train. | The unnamed Cabinet Office employee apparently breached strict security rules when he left the papers on the seat of a train. |
| A fellow passenger spotted the envelope containing the files and gave it to the BBC, who handed them to the police. | A fellow passenger spotted the envelope containing the files and gave it to the BBC, who handed them to the police. |
| The official was later suspended from his job, the Cabinet Office announced. | The official was later suspended from his job, the Cabinet Office announced. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith now faces demands for an official inquiry. | Home Secretary Jacqui Smith now faces demands for an official inquiry. |
| Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the powerful Home Affairs select committee told the BBC: "Such confidential documents should be locked away...they should not be read on trains. | Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the powerful Home Affairs select committee told the BBC: "Such confidential documents should be locked away...they should not be read on trains. |
| There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan Police are carrying out an investigation Cabinet Office spokesman | There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan Police are carrying out an investigation Cabinet Office spokesman |
| "I will be writing to the Home Secretary to establish an inquiry into the affair." | "I will be writing to the Home Secretary to establish an inquiry into the affair." |
| The Conservatives backed calls for an inquiry, with their security spokeswoman, Baroness Neville-Jones, describing the loss as the latest in a "long line of serious breaches of security." | The Conservatives backed calls for an inquiry, with their security spokeswoman, Baroness Neville-Jones, describing the loss as the latest in a "long line of serious breaches of security." |
| Home Office minister Tony McNulty told the BBC he was awaiting the results of the police investigation. | Home Office minister Tony McNulty told the BBC he was awaiting the results of the police investigation. |
| 'Damning assessment' | 'Damning assessment' |
| The two reports were assessments made by the government's Joint Intelligence Committee. | The two reports were assessments made by the government's Joint Intelligence Committee. |
| One, on Iraq's security forces, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence. According to the BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, it included a top-secret and in some places "damning" assessment of Iraq's security forces, | One, on Iraq's security forces, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence. According to the BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, it included a top-secret and in some places "damning" assessment of Iraq's security forces, |
| The other document, reportedly entitled 'Al-Qaeda Vulnerabilities', was commissioned jointly by the Foreign Office and the Home Office. | The other document, reportedly entitled 'Al-Qaeda Vulnerabilities', was commissioned jointly by the Foreign Office and the Home Office. |
| Just seven pages long but classified as "UK Top Secret", this latest intelligence assessment on al-Qaeda is so sensitive that every document is numbered and marked "for UK/US/Canadian and Australian eyes only", according to our correspondent. | Just seven pages long but classified as "UK Top Secret", this latest intelligence assessment on al-Qaeda is so sensitive that every document is numbered and marked "for UK/US/Canadian and Australian eyes only", according to our correspondent. |
| According to reports, this document may have contained details of names of individuals or locations which might have been useful to Britain's enemies. | According to reports, this document may have contained details of names of individuals or locations which might have been useful to Britain's enemies. |
| MISSING SECRETS November '07: Discs containing child benefit records of 25m people lostDecember '07: Driving Standards Agency contractor loses records of 3m peopleJanuary '08: 600,000 details of would-be recruits lost by Naval officer | MISSING SECRETS November '07: Discs containing child benefit records of 25m people lostDecember '07: Driving Standards Agency contractor loses records of 3m peopleJanuary '08: 600,000 details of would-be recruits lost by Naval officer |
| However, it appears that in a serious breach of the rules, the papers were taken out of Whitehall by an unnamed official and left in an orange cardboard envelope on the seat of a Surrey-bound train from London Waterloo on Tuesday. | However, it appears that in a serious breach of the rules, the papers were taken out of Whitehall by an unnamed official and left in an orange cardboard envelope on the seat of a Surrey-bound train from London Waterloo on Tuesday. |
| When a fellow passenger saw the material inside the envelope, they gave it to the BBC. | When a fellow passenger saw the material inside the envelope, they gave it to the BBC. |
| Not suspended | Not suspended |
| Reports suggest that the official, described as a senior male civil servant, works in the Cabinet Office's intelligence and security unit, which contributes to the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee. | Reports suggest that the official, described as a senior male civil servant, works in the Cabinet Office's intelligence and security unit, which contributes to the work of the Joint Intelligence Committee. |
| His work reportedly involves writing and contributing to intelligence and security assessments, and that he has the authority to take secret documents out of the Cabinet Office - so long as strict procedures are observed. | His work reportedly involves writing and contributing to intelligence and security assessments, and that he has the authority to take secret documents out of the Cabinet Office - so long as strict procedures are observed. |
| Once the documents were reported missing, a full-scale search had been launched by the Metropolitan Police, amid fears that such highly sensitive material could have fallen into the wrong hands. | Once the documents were reported missing, a full-scale search had been launched by the Metropolitan Police, amid fears that such highly sensitive material could have fallen into the wrong hands. |
| Our correspondent said that across several departments in Whitehall on Wednesday evening there is said to be "horror" that top-secret documents could have been so casually mislaid. | Our correspondent said that across several departments in Whitehall on Wednesday evening there is said to be "horror" that top-secret documents could have been so casually mislaid. |
| Inquiry | Inquiry |
| Any inquiry is likely to focus on the Cabinet Office, and the security procedures that made it possible for sensitive information to be allowed out of a secure environment. | Any inquiry is likely to focus on the Cabinet Office, and the security procedures that made it possible for sensitive information to be allowed out of a secure environment. |
| A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: "Two documents which are marked as 'secret' were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC. | A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: "Two documents which are marked as 'secret' were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC. |
| "There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan Police are carrying out an investigation." | "There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan Police are carrying out an investigation." |
| The spokesman declined to discuss the contents of the documents. | The spokesman declined to discuss the contents of the documents. |
| One Whitehall source sought to play down the impact of the breach: "The embarrassment of the loss is greater than the embarrassment of the contents of the documents. | One Whitehall source sought to play down the impact of the breach: "The embarrassment of the loss is greater than the embarrassment of the contents of the documents. |
| "We don't believe there is a threat to any individuals in what was in these documents if they had got into the wrong hands." | "We don't believe there is a threat to any individuals in what was in these documents if they had got into the wrong hands." |
| A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are making inquiries in connection with the loss of documents on June 10." | A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are making inquiries in connection with the loss of documents on June 10." |