MPs have called on the Government to review security arrangements amid reports a hidden tracking device was allegedly found in an official car.
A Chinese-made tracker was discovered when intelligence officers searched Government vehicles after concerns over spyware.
According to reports in the i newspaper, one SIM card capable of transmitting location data was discovered in a sweep.
Reports suggested the device had been placed into a vehicle inside a sealed part imported from a supplier in China and installed by the vehicle manufacturer, according to i.
Chinese officials dismissed the revelations as “groundless and sheer rumour”, adding: “We are firmly opposed to political manipulation on normal economic and trade cooperation or any smear on Chinese enterprises.”
One Conservative MP called on the Government to improve data resilience and accused China of building a “tech totalitarian state” using “data stolen from citizens around the world.”
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government had to show “vigilance” against “new security and intelligence threats from hostile states”.
“Ministers need to ensure that there is a proper strategy in place to deal with any threats within equipment and supply chains, not just for central government but for other sensitive services such as policing.”