MI5 to vet royal staff

A sweeping shake-up of the Queen's personal security will be ordered tomorrow when a report reveals a catalogue of blunders.

MI5 will be brought in to carry out tougher vetting of royal staff while a new police unit will overhaul checks at Buckingham Palace and the Queen's other homes. In future, palace staff will have every aspect of their lives exposed to scrutiny, from credit card purchases, mortgage payments to family background and friendships, in an attempt to weed out potential terrorists. Home Secretary David Blunkett will announce the moves when he publishes the damning report by one of Britain's most senior judges into the shambles surrounding palace security.

Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss is set to warn that existing vetting is seriously "flawed", creating the danger of a terrorist infiltrating the ranks of servants. She was commissioned to investigate after a journalist managed to obtain a job as a Buckingham Palace footman last autumn just before the State visit by President Bush.

The judge had unfettered access

to the royal households for her four-month inquiry. She will say security is weakened because Prince Charles uses a different personnel team from the Queen. In future, one specialised unit will carry out vetting for all the royal households.

Bogus footman Ryan Parry enjoyed extraordinary access to the Queen's private quarters with only minimal checks and managed to take a string of photographs, including some of her breakfast table.

In the most embarrassing lapse, a palace personnel officer telephoned a pub in North Wales which he had given as a referee. Although pub staff could not remember him, a regular called out "I know him" - which was accepted as proof he was genuine.

Last year self-styled "comedy terrorist" Aaron Barschak gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle dressed as Osama bin Laden. But the worst lapse was in 1982 when misfit Michael Fagan scaled Buckingham Palace railings and wandered into the Queen's bedroom.