British man, 64, charged with assisting Russian intelligence service

Metropolitan Police arrest man for allegedly assisting foreign intelligence service

The former officer has been barred from policing after ‘inappropriate’ conduct (PA) (PA Archive)

A man has been charged with assisting the Russian intelligence service after being arrested in cenrtal London, the Metropolitan Police said.

Howard Michael Phillips, 64, was arrested by UK-counter terror police and charged on Thursday under National Security Act powers.

He has been charged with an offence contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act – assisting a foreign intelligence service.

The country to which the charge relates is Russia and he is to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Investigators have also searched addresses in Hertfordshire and Essex.

The Met said: “As part of the investigation, which is being led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, officers also searched an address in the Hertfordshire area and an address in the Essex area. Both searches are now complete.

“The arrest is not connected to any other recent charges or investigations linked to NSA offences, and there is not believed to be any threat to the wider public in connection with this matter.”

Police have not disclosed details about the activities he is alleged to have engaged in but the charge covers actions which “materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out UK-related activities”.