A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of handling a mobile phone stolen from Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest took place on Wednesday in Peckham, south London.
The government-issued iPhone was stolen on 20 October last year in Belgrave Road, Pimlico, shortly before 10.30pm. The device has not been recovered. The arrested man is suspected of receiving the phone after the theft and selling it on, but is not believed to have been involved in the original theft.
Concerns have been raised that the theft could have led to the loss of sensitive messages, including those relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. However, the Guardian understands that not all correspondence has been lost, with the Cabinet Office holding a number of text and email exchanges between McSweeney and Mandelson.
McSweeney, who left his No 10 role in February, reported the theft minutes after it occurred, describing it as a government phone with a tracker. He did not disclose his official position at the time, a fact that later prompted the Met to release a transcript of the emergency call in an unusual move to correct misreporting.
The arrested man has been bailed pending further inquiries. Police continue to investigate the theft and are appealing for any information that could lead to the recovery of the phone.
