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IT’S thought of as a world of dead-letter drops, hidden cameras and cutting-edge gadgetry.

But the truth behind modern espionage may actually be rather more mundane.

Foreign spy agencies are now using Freedom of Information requests to turn up intelligence, according to a Government source.

The requests, which can be made by anyone to publicly funded bodies, can be denied for national security reasons.

But a former intelligence officer said even information that appears relatively unrevealing can be useful to foreign nations.

‘The appetite for information is vast and indiscriminate,’ they said. Much of the data was said to be requested in order to embarrass the Government, exposing policies and communications that would otherwise remain locked away.

Through extremely specific requests, foreign nations have obtained diplomatic telegrams and policy documents.

A large amount of the released data is redacted, but on at least one occasion the Information Commissioner forced the Foreign Office to release further, previously denied information.

A Government spokesman said it made ‘full use’ of national security exemptions to ensure sensitive information was not released.