Diplomat who left classified MoD papers at bus stop ‘lined up for new top job as UK’s NATO ambassador’

An ex-civil servant, who left top secret documents containing the locations of British special forces in Kabul at a bus stop is being lined up for a job as the UK’s Nato ambassador, sources claim. 

Angus Lapsley, 54, left the highly classified Ministry of Defence (MoD) papers – which at Kent bus stop in June 2021.

The 50-page dossier marked ‘Secret UK eyes only’, which also included details of elite US soldiers in Afghanistan, was picked up by a member of the public before being handed to the BBC.

A Whitehall source previously claimed the hapless incident sparked a transatlantic spat and left American ‘furious’ as fears were raised that the breach could endanger US servicemen and women, many of whom were in the same location as their British counterparts. 

The diplomat was anticipated to be given the top job at NATO years ago but had his security clearance pulled after losing the classified dossier. 

Since the incident, he was given a promotion and title of assistant secretary-general for defence policy and planning with the diplomatic mission, and was also asked to join a review of UK defences in September of last year.

Now a Whitehall source has told the Times, Lapsley is expected to be official become the UK’s NATO ambassador next week. 

Angus Lapsley, 54, left the highly classified Ministry of Defence (MoD) 50-page dossier at Kent bus stop in June 2021

Mr Lapsley (left with Cecilia Bolocco) avoided being charged for breaching the Official Secrets Act and was redeployed within the Foreign Office in 2021

The 54-year-old will succeed Sir David QUarrey, who has been represented the UK at NATO since April 2022. 

‘We are pretty good at rewarding failure,’ they told the publication. 

It is believed the diplomat is well-revered among his co-workers at in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). 

‘He went off and served his penance and has been leading on the strategic defence review,’ another source told The Times.

But another insider, who worked alongside Lapsley at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there ‘should be real concern’ regarding the decision behind the ex-civil servants potential appointment to NATO.  

‘It cannot be overstated how significant this security breach was and the impact it had at the time,’ they said. 

Another senior defence source, who was also a previous colleague of Lapsley’s, said the move was ‘deeply worrying’, and slammed the FCDO and MoD quipping that they don’t ‘take security seriously’. 

It was previously revealed that the top secret MoD papers included details of a Royal Navy warship’s passage through Crimea’s disputed territorial waters.

Such sensitive intelligence is not allowed to be taken from government buildings unless properly logged out and securely stored.

A Whitehall source previously claimed the hapless incident sparked a transatlantic spat as fears were raised that the breach could endanger US servicemen and women (Pictured: soldiers leaving Afghanistan in 2014)

Labour were previously slammed by Greg Smith – the Conservative MP for Buckingham – after they asked the ex-civil servant to join their review on British defences last September (Pictured: Starmer and Lord Robertson)

However, according to a source who spoke with The Times, Lapsley picked up the pages from the in-tray on his desk and took them home with him. 

It was the following morning when they fell out of his bag as he was rushing to work, before they were found wet and piled up at the bus stop by a member of the public on a train from Waterloo to Surrey.

They were then dried out and handed over to the BBC, with Lapsley originally alleging none of the documents were confidential, according to a source. F

Following the incident, the ex-diplomat had his security clearance suspended and was pulled from handling any sensitive work, and was transferred to the Foreign Office. 

Despite the security breach, Lapsley didn’t lose his Service job and was not prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act.

Senior civil servant, Richard Jackson was previously charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act and hit with a £2,500 after leaving top secret papers about al-Qaeda and Iraq on a train in 2008.  

MailOnline has approached the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.