Senior diplomat who left secret UK military files at bus stop 'set to become NATO ambassador'
Senior diplomat who left secret UK military files at bus stop 'set to become NATO ambassador'
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A senior diplomat who left classified documents detailing British special forces positions at a bus stop is poised to become Britain's NATO ambassador, according to reports. Angus Lapsley, 54, mislaid highly sensitive Ministry of Defence papers at a Kent bus stop in June 2021. The 50-page document, marked 'Secret UK eyes only', contained information about British and American special forces in Afghanistan.
The incident sparked tension with US officials, who were reportedly “furious” over the security breach that potentially endangered their service personnel stationed alongside British forces. Despite having his security clearance initially revoked, Lapsley was later promoted to assistant secretary-general for defence policy and planning. He also participated in a review of UK defences last September.
A Whitehall source told The Times that Lapsley is expected to be named as the UK's NATO ambassador next week, replacing Sir David Quarrey, who has served since April 2022. “We are pretty good at rewarding failure,” remarked one Whitehall insider. While Lapsley enjoys support among Foreign Office colleagues - with one source saying “he went off and served his penance and has been leading on the strategic defence review” - others have expressed major concerns.
A former MoD colleague warned there “should be real concern” about his appointment, adding: “It cannot be overstated how significant this security breach was and the impact it had at the time.”. The misplaced documents, which included details of a Royal Navy warship's route through disputed Crimean waters, were discovered wet and abandoned at the bus stop. A member of the public dried and delivered them to the BBC.
