Met Police knew of honeytrap scam but failed to warn MPS
THE Metropolitan Police became aware of suspicious messages targeting male Westminster figures last year but did not warn MPS.
About 20 Westminster figures including three MPS, as well as their staff and political journalists, have been targeted by online profiles using the aliases “Charlie” or “Abi”.
The accounts sent flirtatious messages and in some cases explicit photos, with at least one recipient said to have sent an intimate image in response.
It took until this month for details of the suspected honeytrap to become public but the Met began its investigation last year, the BBC reported.
While Commons security staff were also made aware of the issue at the time, targets including at least one MP are not thought to have been contacted, raising questions about whether more could have been done by the authorities to protect parliamentarians.
Leicestershire Police and the Met have launched investigations into the honeytrap, while Downing Street has urged politicians affected to contact the police.
Scotland Yard has been contacted by a man whose photos were allegedly stolen by the honeytrapper.
The images were taken from his social media profiles and appeared to date from his school days and university. The man, who The Telegraph has chosen not to name, deleted his social media profiles shortly after he was contacted about the photographs.
William Wragg, the MP for Hazel Grove, gave up the Tory whip earlier this week and now sits as an independent after admitting to handing colleagues’ phone numbers to a man he met on Grindr, a gay dating app, having sent him intimate pictures of himself.
Nadine Dorries, the former culture secretary, urged the parliamentary standards commissioner to launch a full investigation into Mr Wragg.
He had already announced in 2022 his intention to stand down at the next general election, and has spoken at length about his anxiety and depression, describing himself as “mortified” in an apology over the honeytrap scandal.
A Met police spokesman said: “Where particular concerns are identified, security arrangements are reviewed, adapted and strengthened as appropriate.”
They added that the force continually review how MPS are supported by officers to ensure “the right measures are in place to keep them safe”.
“This is done by the parliamentary authorities, government, the Met’s parliamentary liaison and investigation team and local officers from the national Operation Bridger network,” they said.
The House of Commons was contacted for comment.