More than 260 Ministry of Defence (MoD) phones have gone missing in just two months, in what has been described as an “extraordinary” breach of security. In total, 269 phones were recorded as misplaced, lost or stolen between January 1 and February 27 – more than in 2023 and 2024 combined (262).
The figures were revealed in response to a parliamentary question by Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge. He told the Express: “It is extraordinary to see an almost tenfold increase in the rate of phone loss or theft at the MoD since the election, with a staggering 145 phones unaccounted for in February alone compared to (19) in July. We need a clear explanation from Ministers and a plan to get this figure back down.”
The MoD now faces demands for answers on whether any sensitive information has fallen into the wrong hands.
Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said: “At a time when Russian espionage activities against the UK are clearly increasing, the news that large numbers of MoD phones – and presumably the data on them – are routinely being lost, is really pretty concerning.
“Of all Departments, the MoD should appreciate the importance of security so clearly they need to tighten up in this area, as a matter of urgency.”
It is understood MoD phones have robust security measures in place to prevent data being accessed.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said the figures for January and February are high due to two incidents being reported by “one part of defence regarding the mustering of assets”.
He did not elaborate further on the incidents but said it “appears likely that the cause is poor accounting”.
“The discrepancy came to light following the strengthening of mobile device accounting processes within that organisation, which will ensure improved record keeping and improve utilisation of these devices in future, with associated costs and wastage minimised,” he said.
The Daily Express understands a large number of the mobile phones noted as missing in January and February were due for disposal as a result of being obsolete.
Mr Pollard added not all of the incidents have resulted in actual losses or thefts, with some of the reporting including occasions where devices couldn’t be accounted for, so were noted, but later found.
“The Ministry of Defence takes the security of its devices seriously and requires all losses and thefts to be reported,” the minister said.
“Whilst we have seen significant improvements around laptops, due to the accounting errors in relation to phones, we have not seen similar improvements in this area at this time.”
Liberal Democrats defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said the revelation is “deeply concerning”, warning it should “raise red flags about potential breaches of the UK’s national security”.
The MP for Epsom and Ewell told the Express: “There’s a serious risk that crucial data could now fall into the wrong hands. The MoD says the rise was caused by ‘poor accounting’ – raising more worrying questions about the effectiveness of the Department’s auditing processes.
“The Liberal Democrats called for the MoD to explain how hundreds of devices were lost last year, without reply. I hope now the Department responds with transparency to our demand for answers.”
The data covers from when Labour entered Number 10 (July 5 2024) to February 27 and also includes computers, USBs and laptops.
During this period, 11 computers, 13 USBs, 356 phones and 62 laptops have been reported as misplaced or stolen.
Aside from January and February, October was the highest month for reported missing phones (37).
Retired Royal Navy commodore Steve Prest said: “I strongly suspect that MOD is correct when it says that most of these are accounting errors where ‘the system’ has lost track of who has which phone, rather than them being lost or stolen per se.
“Improvements need to be made so that we can know how big the problem really is but, and this is an important point, how much resource – defence people’s time and taxpayers’ money – do we think should be spent on accounting for mobile phones?
“How much is it worth before it becomes disproportionate to the actual security risks involved?”
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.”