Police have arrested two men after a mobile phone was discovered hidden inside the House of Commons, reportedly planted to play sex noises during prime minister’s questions.
The device was found near the frontbench during a routine security sweep and is believed to have been intended to disrupt the high-profile exchange between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch in September.
Detectives say the phone was deliberately placed to interfere with parliamentary proceedings.
A Metropolitan police spokesperson said: “At 10.25 on Wednesday 3 September a mobile phone was found during a routine search of the House of Commons chamber by Met officers.
Enquiries led officers to believe that the phone was purposely placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to business in the house.”
A man in his 30s was arrested on 5 September on suspicion of attempting to intentionally cause a public nuisance. A second suspect, a man in his 60s, was detained on 30 September on the same charge. Both men have been released on bail.
Following the discovery, the Commons introduced heightened security measures, cancelling audio and guided tours and limiting access to the chamber. The House of Lords also reduced access to its chamber as a precaution.
The spokesperson added: “Enquiries remain ongoing and we continue to keep the speaker and clerk of the house up to date with our investigation.” The incident is being treated as a significant breach of parliamentary security.
The phone was found while hundreds of Westminster security staff were on strike over pay, reduced annual leave entitlements and an ethnicity pay gap. With many workers off duty, visitors were barred from the parliamentary estate during the walkout.
