Security fears over Whitehall laptop theft

Police are investigating the theft of six laptops from Whitehall amid fears of a security breach at the heart of government.

At least three of the computers used by civil servants were taken from the Cabinet Office which supports the Prime Minister.

The office also co-ordinates security and intelligence matters, raising fears that sensitive information may have leaked out as the UK remains on high terrorist alert.

Scotland Yard said that a 39-year-old man was arrested and held after the latest computer theft on Monday. It is understood he was a computer technician.

The theft of Cabinet Office computers follows a series of embarrassing thefts of laptops from security service agents in recent years.

In March 2000, a laptop was stolen from a train station when its MI5 owner put it down to buy a ticket. On another occasion an MI6 employee lost his computer during a drinking session.

In January last year it emerged that 600 laptops had been stolen from the Ministry of Defence since 1998.