A hidden camera has been discovered concealed in a ceiling panel inside a government building in Westminster.
The electronic device was found in a complex shared by the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The discovery, made within the last two months, has prompted security services to be informed, The i Paper reported.
The device is understood to have been found in a communal area of the shared building, rather than in 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.”
