An MP’s laptop and iPad were stolen from a car at a service station in the latest disclosed theft of parliamentary equipment (Picture: Google/Getty, file images)

Police have closed an investigation into the theft of an MP’s parliamentary laptop and iPad from a motorway service station.

The devices were snatched when the unnamed member left his car in an area not covered by CCTV at the London Gateway facilities on the M1.

The MP and his colleagues immediately reported the theft to the police and Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS), which supplies hardware to members.  

The loss on December 12 last year was classed as a ‘low priority’ by the PDS in a log of the incident, as revealed by Metro.co.uk last month.

The Metropolitan Police have now confirmed that the case has been discontinued due to a lack of ‘realistic’ leads to follow.  

William Taafe, chief executive officer at Lockdown Cyber Security,  said: ‘This worrisome development highlights the need to be conscious of our environment, especially when carrying electronic goods of significant value.

‘We must resist the temptation to leave our devices in eye view and hide them so they are not visible. CCTV is a visual deterrent which could have proved vital in preventing this theft and its omission is unfortunate.

‘Responsibility ultimately resides with ourselves however, and this incident demonstrates a lack of awareness or a careless attitude.’ 

Access to physical devices can provide a window of opportunity to hackers according to cybersecurity experts (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The report was detailed in a heavily redacted log disclosed by the House of Commons after a Freedom of Information Act request by Metro.co.uk.

Categorised as ‘equipment loss/misuse’, the time-stamped document shows how the IT team responded after the theft took place at 12.40am. 

In one update, the log states: ‘No further information on type of incident available at this moment, requester to get back to us whether it was deliberate or opportunistic i.e. window smashed or door unlocked.’   

The PDS, which supplied the devices, was alerted along with ‘2 Colleagues in Westminster and 3 in the office’, while one of the MP’s colleagues was said to be ‘directly speaking to police in Parliament’.  

Around three hours after the log was opened, the MP is recorded as having met police to report the incident and to have asked if a replacement laptop would come out of his budget. 

Details of the theft were released after a separate disclosure showed MPs and Lords reported almost three dozen devices lost or stolen in the year up to November 2022. The list included iPads lost in taxis and on airplanes.

Other cases investigated by police include a laptop containing ‘sensitive’ data being stolen from an MP’s office on the parliamentary estate.

The member arrived on a Monday morning in April last year to find that the device, which contained data related to his parliamentary business, had vanished from a desk. A man was arrested as enquiries continue.  

The disclosures of hardware being lost or stolen come at a time of heightened concern over digital security at Westminster, where the IT network is part of the Critical National Infrastructure.    

A log of the incident has been heavily redacted (Picture: House of Commons)

Cyber security protocols at parliament were reportedly tightened at the end of last year as the estate’s network faces threats which could damage the national interest if the defences are breached. 

In January, it emerged that a Chinese tracking device capable of transmitting location data was discovered inside a UK government car used to carry diplomats and senior officials. 

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘On December 12, 2022 police received a report of theft after a laptop was stolen from a car at the London Gateway Services in Barnet. Officers took an initial report and carried out further enquiries. The area where the theft occurred was not covered by CCTV and there were no other realistic lines of enquiry.’ 

A laptop went missing from the parliamentary estate after an MP left his office for the weekend (Picture: Reuters)

The spokesperson added: ‘There are no other lines of enquiry so the investigation is closed but this would be reviewed if any new information was to come to light.’ 

Devices supplied by the PDS to passholders are encrypted, according to the Commons’ Information Compliance Team.   

A UK Parliament spokesperson said: ‘Parliament takes cyber security extremely seriously. We have robust measures in place and work closely with partners in the National Cyber Security Centre. 

‘We provide advice to users, including members of both Houses, to make them aware of the risks and how to manage their equipment safety, however we do not comment on specific details of our cyber or physical security controls, policies or incidents.’

MORE : MPs and Lords lose ‘sensitive’ parliamentary iPads on airplanes, in taxis and on train

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An MP’s parliamentary-supplied laptop and iPad were stolen in a ‘worrisome’ incident at motorway services in London.