Army launches urgent review after spy infiltration fears exposed in leaked memo

The British Army has launched an urgent review of security checks after a leaked internal memo raised concerns that vetting rules were not properly followed. It described a soldier reaching Land Forces Command without the required clearance, prompting warnings that gaps in the process could leave defence information and operations exposed to foreign actors.

The memo, dated September, told senior officers to check staff clearances and address further problems by 6 November. The soldier is understood not to have been acting as a spy. Former army chief Lord Dannatt called the faulty process potentially very dangerous; the Army said recruits are checked before basic training and fully vetted during enlistment, and that it reviews its procedures.