Whitehall awash with rumours over identity of woman 'spy'

Whitehall awash with rumours over identity of woman 'spy'



A woman arrested under the Official Secrets Act in London has been released under investigation, police said today.

The 65 year old, described as a contract worker to a government department, was arrested at an address in north London yesterday.

A search of the address has now been completed, police said.



A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'A 65-year-old woman, who was arrested at an address in north London on suspicion of an offence under the Official Secrets Act, has been released from police custody under investigation.

'The woman, who is contracted to carry out work for a government department, was arrested on Wednesday 27 September by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) for an offence contrary to section 1 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911.

'She was subsequently released under investigation.

'Officers have also completed a search at an address in north London as part of the investigation. Enquiries continue.'



Rumours swirled around Whitehall about the identity of the woman amid claims she worked for Russia, China or North Korea.

Whitehall sources ruled out a link to Islamist terrorism or Irish Republican dissidents and speculated the woman was passing information onto a foreign government.

Scotland Yard has not confirmed which government department she worked for.

She was a middle-ranking staff member with access to potentially sensitive information, sources told The Telegraph. 



No further details have been given yet about the details of the allegations.   

Police said they were acting on intelligence given from a source.



The 65-year-old was detained for an offence contrary to section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, and was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

Arrests under the 1911 Act, which was drawn up prior to the First World War, are rare.

Section 1 is headed 'penalties for spying' and covers activities that amount to an offence if they are carried out 'for any purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State'.

The North Korean Embassy told MailOnline: 'This incident has no connection with the DPRK at all.

'If there are such rumours, I suppose its intention would be to attract audiences' attention by forcibly connecting with the DPRK.'