AN inquiry has been launched after a mobile phone was reportedly planted "to play sex noises" during Prime Minister's Questions.
The device was discovered in the House of Commons during a routine sweep of the chamber on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police said they believed it was purposely placed there to disrupt proceedings in the House.
According to The Times, the phone had been hidden near the frontbench to play a sexually explicit audio recording in the middle of Prime Minister's Questions. It was discovered before it could go off.
There was no clear footage of the device being planted, the paper reported.
An investigation has been launched. It is understood that the incident is being treated seriously, as it represents a breach of parliamentary security.
A Met Police spokesperson said: "On Wednesday 3 September, a mobile phone was found during a routine search of the House of Commons chamber by Met officers.
"Inquiries have led officers to believe that the phone was purposely placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to business in the house.
“An investigation has been launched, and inquiries are ongoing. We have updated the Speaker and clerk of the House.”
A UK Parliament spokesperson said: “Parliament is a public building and we facilitate the visits of thousands of people to the estate each week.
“The safety and security of everyone who works or visits here remains our top priority, and we have robust and proactive security measures in place. This includes ensuring that visitors and their belongings are security screened, along with monitoring and routine searches of areas that are open to the public.
“While we cannot comment on the detail of our processes, we can confirm that a mobile phone was removed from the Commons chamber on 3 September – demonstrating the effectiveness of the security measures we have in operation.”
