Sandhurst military academy security breach
Sandhurst military academy security breach
Security at the Sandhurst military academy in Surrey, where PrinceHarry is training, came under renewed scrutiny yesterday after a
tabloid newspaper claimed that an undercover reporter had come within
touching distance of the prince on three occasions.
The News of the World said its reporter had been able to gain access
to Prince Harry's accommodation block after being issued with an
"access all areas" security pass when he got a job in the academy's
carpentry workshop.
The journalist said he was able to get a job after providing a false
employment history and bogus references. A Ministry of Defence
spokesman said: "We take security at Sandhurst extremely seriously and
will investigate these allegations."
The alleged breach comes two months after the Sun allegedly gained
access to Sandhurst and took video footage of the 20-year-old. The
prince said at the time that the pictures were not of him.
The News of the World, claimed its reporter got within touching
distance of the prince three times: last Monday after a map-reading
exercise, on Thursday after he had finished a run and on Friday as he
moved belongings from his dorm.
The newspaper also published pictures showing the route to Prince
Harry's room.
The reporter got a £12,000-a-year job as a maintenance man. Four weeks
later he received a security pass and the security codes for the
doors.
The breach will embarrass the defence secretary, John Reid. Following
the Sun's infiltration in June, Mr Reid instructed Sandhurst to change
its security procedures.
