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Thursday, 12 August 2021 (YJC)_ Aafter a Briton working at the UK embassy in Berlin was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying, MPs are calling for a review of private contractors in British embassies.
MPs are calling for a review of private contractors in British embassies after a Briton working at the UK embassy in Berlin was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The British national, named as David S, was detained in Potsdam on Tuesday for allegedly selling documents obtained at work to a "representative of a Russian intelligence service", according to German authorities.
Sky News knows the full name of the suspect but is not disclosing it for legal reasons.
A UK government spokesman said the 57-year-old had been "contracted to work for the government".
Sky News understands he was a security guard and was being monitored by MI5.
MPs have expressed security concerns following the arrest of the suspect, who had been the subject of a joint investigation by British and German officials.
Labour MP Chris Bryant, chairman of the all-party parliamentary Russia group, told the Daily Telegraph the British government "must review the security of all contractors at UK embassies as a matter of urgency".
He called the incident "one of the most serious security breaches at a UK embassy for many years".
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence select committee, said reviewing the security of all contractors working at UK embassies would be "standard protocol following such an incident".
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