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MI6 left red-faced after HQ plans were lost

Published on: 7 Jan 2020

MI6 may be forced to redesign the layout of its London headquarters after a building firm tasked with a refurbishment project lost highly sensitive plans.

It is believed Balfour Beatty misplaced the blueprints it had produced for the Secret Intelligence Service around two weeks before Christmas.

More than 100 documents went missing and although most were later found again still inside the Vauxhall Cross building, some remain unaccounted for.

Since the plans contain details including the locations of alarms, exits, stairwells and key infrastructure within the building - and there is no telling who may have seen them - MI6 may have to completely alter the layout to prevent safety being compromised.

Since the security breach was discovered, Balfour Beatty's multi-million pound contract has been terminated.

"We do not comment on intelligence matters," said a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson.

It was recently revealed by the Telegraph that the head of MI6 Sir Alex Younger is thought to be standing down in 2020, along with the head of MI5 Sir Andrew Parker.