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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Codes to police stations missing | Codes to police stations missing |
| (about 23 hours later) | |
| Entry codes to doors of police stations across London were stolen from a car, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. | Entry codes to doors of police stations across London were stolen from a car, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. |
| The list for access to 73 stations went missing after a car used by a vehicle maintenance contractor was stolen in Ealing, west London, on 28 December. | The list for access to 73 stations went missing after a car used by a vehicle maintenance contractor was stolen in Ealing, west London, on 28 December. |
| All codes on the list were changed within 12 hours and none were for "high security" stations, police said. | |
| Commander Shaun Sawyer, the senior officer on call at the time, said: "There was no breach of security". | Commander Shaun Sawyer, the senior officer on call at the time, said: "There was no breach of security". |
| Police said the car was stolen after the driver had parked it. | Police said the car was stolen after the driver had parked it. |
| There was no breach of security, and we did well to change every security code that might have been affected Commander Shaun Sawyer | |
| The unofficial list of codes was missing when the car was found abandoned in the same area hours later. | The unofficial list of codes was missing when the car was found abandoned in the same area hours later. |
| No one has been arrested over the incident. | No one has been arrested over the incident. |
| Southampton-based VT Group, the UK defence and services firm formerly known as Vosper Thorneycroft, which maintains the Met force's fleet of cars said it had launched an investigation. | Southampton-based VT Group, the UK defence and services firm formerly known as Vosper Thorneycroft, which maintains the Met force's fleet of cars said it had launched an investigation. |
| Commander Sawyer said: "This was an unhelpful security issue. | Commander Sawyer said: "This was an unhelpful security issue. |
| "The driver had been working that day and he had parked his car in the street before it was stolen. | "The driver had been working that day and he had parked his car in the street before it was stolen. |
| "There was no breach of security, and we did well to change every security code that might have been affected. | "There was no breach of security, and we did well to change every security code that might have been affected. |
| "I was woken up at 1am. By 3am, every one of the 73 police stations had been contacted, and by midday the next day, all the codes had been changed." | "I was woken up at 1am. By 3am, every one of the 73 police stations had been contacted, and by midday the next day, all the codes had been changed." |
| A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police emphasised that the list, which was on plain paper on a clipboard, was "not an official Met list" but was compiled by the driver working for the contractor. | A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police emphasised that the list, which was on plain paper on a clipboard, was "not an official Met list" but was compiled by the driver working for the contractor. |
| She said that even with the entry codes it would have been difficult to gain access to buildings, as there are secondary barriers inside. | She said that even with the entry codes it would have been difficult to gain access to buildings, as there are secondary barriers inside. |
| Paul Lester, chief executive of VT Group, said he was informed of the incident on 29 December. | Paul Lester, chief executive of VT Group, said he was informed of the incident on 29 December. |
| 'Serious matter' | 'Serious matter' |
| "We are checking all internal processes to understand what happened. | "We are checking all internal processes to understand what happened. |
| "The company and the Met are discussing issues as to how to strengthen processes so that it does not happen again," he said. | "The company and the Met are discussing issues as to how to strengthen processes so that it does not happen again," he said. |
| Shadow security minister Dame Pauline Neville-Jones said the fact that the driver compiled a list implies the "codes were not being changed frequently enough". | Shadow security minister Dame Pauline Neville-Jones said the fact that the driver compiled a list implies the "codes were not being changed frequently enough". |
| She said: "This is a serious matter. | She said: "This is a serious matter. |
| "What he [Commander Sawyer] meant to say was that we are fortunate that nothing ensued from this security breach, but security breach there certainly was." | "What he [Commander Sawyer] meant to say was that we are fortunate that nothing ensued from this security breach, but security breach there certainly was." |
| A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Authority said members were "very concerned" and had called for a full report into the incident. | A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Authority said members were "very concerned" and had called for a full report into the incident. |