Breach as PM travel notes left on train
ADOCUMENT containing highly sensitive information about Theresa May’s travel plans was left behind on a public train during a trip to Sci-Tech Daresbury earlier this year.
The travel diary, which included details of the Prime Minister’s plans including times and locations of her future movements, was labelled a ‘serious security breach’ and ‘just ● inexcusable’ by former royal bodyguard Inspector Ken Wharfe.
It included details of the Prime Minister’s visit to a named Cheshire hotel away from the cameras, the Mirror reports.
The document also states when Mrs May would be attending a dinner event at a private house.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of claims around a Government document and will investigate accordingly.”
No10 refused to reveal whether the papers were reported lost at the time or if the person who forgot them had been identified.
The UK terror threat is ‘severe’, according to MI5, with the risk of an attack from dissident Northern Ireland republicans raised last year to ‘substantial’.
Mr Wharfe, Princess Diana’s protection officer for six years, warned: “In today’s environment, it becomes a serious security matter when documents like this detailing the hourly movements of a protected person are misplaced. That’s just not acceptable.
“Theresa May is given this protection because she is a target and so, of course, this is a serious security risk.
“These papers give a detailed assessment of her movements. Had such information reached potential terrorists it could serve to confirm their plans.
“But also, importantly, it would highlight the lapse and suggest to those with such terrorist intentions the weakness surrounding their potential target.”
The lost papers, passed by a member of the public to the Mirror, included briefing notes for the PM on how to deal with hostile questions from reporters.
They were left on the floor of a first class train carriage on the day Mrs May travelled to Manchester for her first regional cabinet meeting.
A passenger found them just after noon on January 23 as the train continued north to Edinburgh.
It is thought likely they were forgotten by an aide travelling separately to Mrs May. It is unclear if her protection ● officers were warned immediately after the papers were lost.
Earlier that same morning, the Tory leader had flown on an RAF aircraft from Northolt, West London, to Manchester and was meeting cabinet colleagues at Sci-Tech Daresbury.
The notes revealed that, after fielding questions from the media, she would travel by car to The Mere Hotel in Knutsford and stay there for three hours. There she was due to record a video message, phone NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and deal with important briefings from her closest advisors.
The documents said she also planned to meet local Tory figures at a ‘treasurer’s dinner’ which was being held in a named private address in Altrincham.