Metropolitan Police Launch CCTV Review in Pimlico Phone Theft Case
The Metropolitan Police have initiated a detailed review of CCTV footage from Belgrave Road in Pimlico, central London, to establish the facts surrounding the theft of a government mobile phone from Morgan McSweeney, who served as the prime minister's chief of staff at the time. McSweeney reported the incident on October 20 last year, stating that a 'government device' had been stolen during a mugging just before 10:30pm.
Initial Investigation Oversights and Security Concerns
Police have taken the unusual step of releasing details of the 999 call after facing criticism for not fully investigating the theft initially. It has emerged that McSweeney did not identify himself during the call or explicitly flag the potential security risks, although he did mention the phone was a government mobile. Due to a mix-up over the street name provided, CCTV footage was not checked at the time, and Scotland Yard stated there were no 'realistic' lines of inquiry to pursue then.
Officers are now trawling through publicly available CCTV and other footage from Belgrave Road as part of this review. The government phone was reportedly wiped remotely and replaced with another device the following day. The Cabinet Office is understood to have a record of some messages between McSweeney and Mandelson, but concerns have been raised about backups.
Political Reactions and Allegations of Cover-Up
The Conservative Party has strongly criticised the situation, with Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart describing it as 'stinking to high heaven' and demanding a full explanation for why messages were not backed up. Burghart accused Keir Starmer of attempting to cover up the Mandelson affair, referencing previous incidents and questioning the lack of intent to retrieve the phone or messages.
In response, a Cabinet minister attributed the loss of exchanges to a 'cock-up', dismissing allegations of a cover-up by arguing McSweeney could not have anticipated parliamentary orders for publication. McSweeney resigned from Downing Street last month, taking responsibility for Mandelson's appointment.
Police Handling and Ongoing Scrutiny
The Metropolitan Police suggested that because McSweeney did not identify himself, the potential security risks could not have reasonably influenced their handling of the case. Officers attempted to contact the senior adviser twice the next day without success. While CCTV was reviewed initially, confusion over the location meant nothing was found; footage is now being revisited using the correct address.
At Prime Minister's Questions this week, Kemi Badenoch highlighted the issue of missing messages, making a pointed reference to Sir Keir Starmer's background in law. The Metropolitan Police have not provided further comment on the ongoing review.
