Spies like us... living next door
THEY may appear normal neighbours but are the couple next door all that they seem?
MI6 is establishing new urban safe houses complete with fake married couples.
Traditionally defectors have been spirited to remote rural idylls – as depicted in the 1987 Bond film The Living Daylights when Stonor Park in Oxfordshire was used to debrief defecting Soviet spy Georgi Koskov.
But Britain’s robust foreign policy and the threat from foreign agents has caused the Secret Intelligence Service to rethink. It has purchased a semi-detached house with at least three bedrooms in the Midlands.
The couple who purport to own it are also unremarkable. He is self-employed and travels for business, while she is a housewife who is friendly with the neighbours.
But behind the posed wedding photos are two MI6 officers trained in “handling” people.
Pairing up intelligence officers is a common practice.the US drama The Americans, starring Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as Soviet agents Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, was inspired by the 2010 discovery of a Russian spy ring.the agents had covers as married couples with children to gain access to high-ranking officials.
The MI6 plan is more short term.
Only volunteers were used for the assignment, which may last 18 months until the property is sold and they are placed elsewhere.
The idea is to “diversify” safe houses for greater security.
“Times have changed and this is about staying a step ahead,” said awhitehall source.
“Certain foreign powers are seeking to increase their footprint here and our job is to make sure that safe houses live up to their name.
“There is now the view that smaller, ordinary-looking properties can be equally, if not more, effective than those established longer.”
The source added: “The female officer could be anyone leading a quiet routine life married to a somewhat dull husband who seems more interested in watching football and cricket on television than anything else.
“He will chat with neighbours but avoids lengthy conversations.
“Occasionally, they will have visitors who stay for a weekend or a few days.what could be more normal?”