Officer faces charge over secret files left on train

Civil service An intelligence officer from the Cabinet Office who left top secret documents about Iraq and Afghanistan on a train is to face charges under the Official Secrets Act.

The civil servant, who had been suspended and interviewed by detectives since the incident three months ago, is expected to be formally charged when he arrives at a police station in the next few days for an appointment, when he will be accompanied by his solicitor.

According to security sources, the main basis of the charge would be the allegation that the official had taken highly sensitive material out of the office without authorisation.

It is believed that the civil servant, an analyst with the Cabinet Office's Joint Intelligence Committee, was taking the documents home to read but accidentally left them behind in the carriage.