Revealed: Downing Street aides traded bogus secrets for SEX with undercover Russian and Chinese 'honey-trap' spies
- New book reveals fascinating insight on Downing Street's relationship with Britain's spying agencies
- Gordon Brown's aides tricked attractive women into thinking they were stealing sensitive information by preparing fake intelligence as 'dangles'
- It allowed them to take advantage of the 'beautiful posse of Chinese girls and Russian blondes' who seduced aides before stealing intelligence
Downing Street staff traded bogus secrets for sex with undercover Russian and Chinese spies, a new book has revealed.
Advisers to former prime minister Gordon Brown tricked attractive women into thinking they were stealing sensitive information by preparing fake phones and intelligence files as 'dangles' in their rooms.
It allowed them to take advantage of the 'beautiful posse of Chinese girls and Russian blondes' who seduced aides from foreign governments before stealing confidential information when they slept.
Advisers to former prime minister Gordon Brown (pictured on a trip to China during the Beijing Olympics) tricked attractive Chinese and Russian women into thinking they were stealing sensitive information by preparing fake phones and intelligence files as 'dangles' in their rooms
The details are revealed in a new book that offers a fascinating insight into the relationship between Britain's spying agencies and Downing Street.
The creative aides from Number 10 devised their plan after one of their colleagues fell victim to a honey-trap on a visit to Shanghai.
The initial incident - told by Mr Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride in his explosive memoirs three years ago - ended with the senior adviser waking up the next morning 'minus his Blackberry and half the contents of his briefcase' after being drugged by the undercover spy.
It spurred Downing Street staff into planning their amateur deception plot.
The fresh revelations about foreign trips under Mr Brown were told by the advisers to the book's authors - security academics Professor Richard Aldrich and Professor Rory Cormac.
Gordon Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride (left) revealed in his 2013 memoirs how a senior Downing Street adviser had been 'honey-trapped' by an undercover spy from a 'beautiful posse of Chinese girls and Russian blondes' who were deployed to seduce foreign government officials to steal secrets
MI6 (its headquarters pictured in Vauxhall, London) were worried that the fake deception tactics used by Downing Street aides might harm the UK's genuine deception operations and ordered them to stop
But after deploying their bogus phones and intelligence files in an effort to lure female spies on foreign trips, they were thwarted by Britain's own intelligence officials.
MI6 were worried that the fake deception tactics might harm the UK's genuine deception operations and ordered them to stop.
The bogus files used by the Downing Street staff were in fact commercially confidential but unclassified reports on the future of China by a major multinational.
The advisers created suitable covers suggesting they were secret intelligence reports on the long term future of Chinese trade.
The initial 'honey-trap' incident took place on Mr Brown's visit to China in 2008.
The prime minister was accompanied by about 20 Number 10 staff as well as 25 business leaders.
Details of how Downing St staff tricked undercover spies with bogus phones are revealed in a new book - The Black Door: Spies, Secret Intelligence and British Prime Ministers by Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac
Mr McBride - who returned to work for the Labour party after quitting Downing Street in 2009 in disgrace over attempts to smear Tory opponents - explained how the travelling Downing Street team had been 'accosted on one side by a beautiful posse of Chinese girls and on the other side by an equivalent group of Russian blondes'.
He went on: 'Even before our resident security expert could warn us that their interest was not to be taken at face value, we looked up and saw one of our number disappearing up the stairs to the exit with one of the girls, beaming back at us and doing a 'Chelsea dagger' dance as though he had won the lottery'.
Mr McBride said he woke up in the morning ‘minus his Blackberry and half the contents of his briefcase’ – as well as a ‘very bad headache, owning to the Mickey Finn nightcap his overnight companion had administered to him in his hotel room’.
Downing Street staff travelling overseas were routinely issued with special secure phones, the book explains.
Security teams ordered them not to switch on their normal BlackBerrys due to the various hostile security agencies trying to hack them.
Staff were told that anything they left in their rooms would automatically be examined and copied – especially in China.
It is not just the British intelligence agencies who are paranoid of government officials being tricked by attractive undercover foreign spies.
Last week it emerged that China had ordered its female government workers not to talk to 'handsome and romantic' Western foreigners over concerns they are spies.
The 'Dangerous Love' campaign was launched by officials who believe they need to educate members of staff on how to keep classified information confidential.
The message - told through a series of cartoon-style pictures - was released to mark China's debut National Security Education Day, which was created to increase resident's awareness about security problems.
The Black Door: Spies, Secret Intelligence and British Prime Ministers by Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac is published by William Collins.
CHINA ORDERS FEMALE GOVERNMENT WORKERS NOT TO TALK TO 'HANDSOME WESTERN FOREIGNERS' BECAUSE 'THEY'RE PROBABLY SPIES'
China has used a 16-cartoon poster to order female government workers not to talk to 'handsome and romantic' Western foreigners in case they are spies
It is not just the British intelligence agencies who are paranoid of government officials being tricked by attractive undercover foreign spies.
Last week it emerged that China had ordered its female government workers not to talk to 'handsome and romantic' Western foreigners over concerns they are spies.
The 'Dangerous Love' campaign was launched by officials who believe they need to educate members of staff on how to keep classified information confidential.
The message - told through a series of cartoon-style pictures - was released to mark China's debut National Security Education Day, which was created to increase resident's awareness about security problems.
The poster, which has been pinned to government bulletin boards, shows a young Chinese civil servant called Xiao Li meeting a red-headed foreign man, David.
The story starts with Li being invited to a 'foreign friend's' dinner party by another woman.
The meal is also attended by David, who tells her he is working in the country as a scholar. Li then reveals she has a job in a foreign department of the civil service having just left college.
The next couple of pictures show Li being wooed by David as he sends her gifts and gives her flowers over dinner, as well as taking her out for romantic walks in the park.
Appearing to be flattered by David's attention, Li then reveals she works on central policies and writes internal references.
He manages to persuade her to give a copy of the references to him, claiming they will help with his academic articles.
Shortly after, David stops returning Li's calls and she is eventually visited by two police officers, who tell her he is actually a spy.
The last poster shows Li crying as she sits in handcuffs while an officer tells her: 'You are suspected of violating our nation's law.'
A Beijing district government spokesman said it would display the poster to educate its employees.
It also said the posters would help employees understand counter espionage.
The central government's National Security Education Day, which was last Friday, was marked by speeches and the distribution of materials.
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