LONDON - A hidden camera has been discovered in a ceiling panel in a UK government building, PA Media/dpa reported, citing local media.
The electronic device was found in the Westminster complex where the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are based.
The discovery was made within the past two months and the security services have been informed, The i Paper reported.
The device is understood to have been found in a communal area of the shared building rather than around ministerial offices.
The Marsham Street complex is the base for the Home Office, responsible for policing and national security, and MHCLG, which took decisions relating to the planning permission for the massive new Chinese embassy in London.
There is no suggestion that Russian or Chinese agents are responsible for the device, the report said.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: "We do not comment on security matters.”
Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart told The i Paper: "This is a serious incident that demands an urgent investigation.
"The discovery of a hidden camera inside a building that occupies the Home Office and other departments raises questions about the security of government departments and those seeking to undermine them.”
He added: "We urgently need to know who was responsible, how long this device was in place and whether any sensitive or classified information has been compromised." - BERNAMA