Security at the UK’s answer to The Pentagon has been declared ineffective by a Western Daily Press reporter.

As the Government prepares to send out guidelines for stockpiling food to prepare for a terrorist attack, Roger Tavener found Abbey Wood Ministry of Defence installation potentially open for attack.

Despite road signs warning the procurement base was a sensitive zone, he was able to walk unchallenged for an hour around the outside of the huge office development, which provides work for several thousand civil servants.

He even took photos of them in their offices from the perimeter fence, writing later that he could have been a sniper or have been carrying a hand-held mortar.

He photographed offices and spy cameras – information which could be useful to terrorists, and was only intercepted by police as he left for the centre’s own railway station.

He said: “I was asked for my name and address, which I gave. An officer said I had been seen taking photographs. I said I had been taking pictures of the swans and their cygnets. It seemed a good enough excuse. I wasn’t arrested and my camera wasn’t checked.”

Eventually, the MoD issued a statement to the paper to say that it did not discuss security issues, but was “confident” that Abbey Wood met requirements and that there was no breach of security.

“An individual was kept under surveillance outside the site today and was questioned by MoD police when he was seen to be acting suspiciously. No further action will be taken,” said a spokesman.

Three years ago The Western Daily Press flew over Hinkley Point nuclear power station, and Abbey Wood, the West nerve centre of the Ministry of Defence, at 2,000ft to prove how vulnerable both were to attack.

There was no restricted air space over the two vital facilities to prevent anyone flying over them.

Questions were asked in Parliament as the astonishing lack of security was revealed and readers were stunned to find no new restrictions had been imposed after the September 11 attacks.

The small charter plane was flown from a Somerset airfield and minimal details were given about its destination or the motives for the flight.

In a hard-hitting comment column, editor Terry Manners said: “An attack on the Ministry of Defence’s state-of-the-art procurement base at Abbey Wood must be on any hit-list because of its status – and yet one of our reporters was able to walk unhindered around its perimeter yesterday for an hour, openly taking pictures of workers and of its spy cameras.

“When police turned up they were easily satisfied with an instant excuse that he had been taking pictures of swans. No arrest to confirm identity, no confiscation of camera to check his story.

“Such naivety is inexcusable. Determined terrorists may still get through, but we must at least make their plans as difficult as possible.”

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