Inquiry call after archives go Awol

Ministers are facing calls for an inquiry following a report that thousands of government papers covering some of the most controversial episodes in 20th century British history have vanished from archives.

Most went missing after civil servants removed the files from public display at the archives at Kew and took them to Whitehall. Records covering the Falklands War, Northern Ireland’s Troubles and the Zinoviev letter – when MI6 “conspired to bring down the first Labour government” _ are among those misplaced.