Machine gun, pistol and hundreds of devices lost by Ministry of Defence

27 December 2024, 11:26 | Updated: 27 December 2024, 13:05

Pistols, a deactivated World War I machine gun and a rifle were among items lost or stolen from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the last two years.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding an "urgent inquiry" after the missing firearms came to light.

Data obtained by the party reveals more than 700 computers, laptops, phones, and USBs belonging to the department were also lost or stolen over the same period.

The party's defence spokesperson, Helen Maguire, said the government is "more butterfingered than Goldfinger when it comes to national security" as she called for an inquiry.

The MoD said it takes the security of its equipment "very seriously", and it has "robust policies and procedures to prevent losses and thefts".

Firearms losses and thefts 'fully investigated'

The data on the missing equipment was revealed to the Lib Dems in a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Ms Maguire.

In 2023, two deactivated World War II weapons were lost, and a Glock 19 pistol was stolen.

An SA80 rifle - a type of weapon used by the British Armed Forces in almost all conflicts since its introduction in the early 1980s - was also lost and subsequently recovered, as was a deactivated World War I machine gun.

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard insisted the security of firearms is "taken very seriously" by the MoD, and the department has "robust procedures in place to deter and prevent loss and theft".

"All losses and thefts of firearms and ammunition are fully and rigorously investigated," he added.

Data for 2024 was not available.

Hundreds of devices lost or stolen

In 2024, 447 devices including computers, laptops, phones, and USBs were lost by the MoD - up more than 50% on the previous year's 297, data obtained by the Lib Dems shows.

While no computers went missing in 2023, 25 were lost or stolen in 2024 - 11 of them in July.

A total of 20 USBs were lost or stolen in 2023 - that increased by over 500% in 2024, when 125 went missing.

101 of the department's phones were lost or stolen in 2023, and that also increased to 159 in 2024.

And 138 laptops were lost or stolen in 2024, down from 176 in 2023.

Minister for defence procurement, Maria Eagle, said MoD personnel are "regularly reminded of their responsibilities to safeguard defence assets", and that "proportionate security controls" are used on their devices.

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Missing weaponry 'should raise alarm bells'

But Ms Maguire said in a statement: "The loss of these crucial resources is deeply concerning - especially at this time of heightened global security tensions."

She said "sensitive national security information" could "end up in the wrong hands", and the missing weaponry "should seriously raise alarm bells when it comes to security".

The party is calling for "an urgent inquiry into how these resources have been misplaced, and what is being done to make sure losses and thefts decrease in the new year", she added.

An MoD spokesperson said: "We take the security of defence assets extremely seriously and have robust policies and procedures to prevent losses and thefts.

"If any assets are reported lost or missing due to suspected criminal activity, we take the necessary steps to investigate, prosecute and recover the items."

(c) Sky News 2024: Machine gun, pistol and hundreds of devices lost by Ministry of Defence