WORLD> Europe
British royal chauffeur probed for security breach
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-25 09:06

LONDON: Buckingham Palace said Sunday it had suspended a royal chauffeur alleged to have let undercover journalists enter Queen Elizabeth's London residence and sit in her car in return for a bribe.

British royal chauffeur probed for security breach
In this Nov. 2, 2004 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sit in the Royal Bentley after they arrived in Berlin. [Agencies] British royal chauffeur probed for security breach
The tabloid News of The World said two of its reporters posing as Middle East businessmen paid 1,000 pounds ($1,580) to the chauffeur to evade security checks at the palace.

The paper said the story exposed lax security at the palace. "We could have been Al-Qaeda, we could have had a bomb or at least a tracking device," it said.

It said the chauffeur took them to a garage storing Bentley and Rolls-Royce limousines used by the royal family and even let a reporter sit in one of the vehicles.

The palace said it took security matters very seriously. "An individual has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations by a newspaper," a royal spokeswoman said.

Police said they would discuss the matter with royal staff. "We are naturally concerned about the issues raised by this story and are liaising with palace officials about their staff security arrangements," a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

Royal residences have suffered a number of high-profile security breaches in recent years, prompting the appointment of a security supremo after Daily Mirror reporter Ryan Parry spent two months in 2003 working undercover at Buckingham Palace.

He was employed as a footman, walking the queen's corgi dogs and serving her drinks, despite having applied for the job with a false reference.

Reuters