Calling All Bond Girls: MI5 Wants You

Britain's security service MI5 is keen to bring more women on board as it launches a new recruitment campaign this week -- the latest stage in a drive to double its size.

The domestic spy agency, around 1 800 strong at the time of the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, has swelled its ranks to more than 3 000 and expects to reach 3 500 by the end of next year.

But despite being able to point to two recent female leaders, it is struggling to attract women recruits. While women make up around 47% of all employees, they account for only 38% of new applicants.

"We need to get that increased so we're not going to have a problem further down the line," said a security source. "We have to reflect the diversity of the UK to do our job properly."

The nature of surveillance work, for example, requires a healthy balance between male and female operatives to keep track of suspects without attracting attention.

In an unusual initiative, MI5 last year placed ads in the female changing rooms of health clubs in a bid to find women surveillance officers -- a physically demanding role involving shadowing suspects for hours at a time by foot or in a vehicle.

This week's campaign will include ads on London buses and underground trains as MI5 seeks to fill a range of jobs from caterers to drivers, intelligence officers, linguists, surveillance officers and technology experts.