Police chief summoned over Blunkett file found outside pub

The Home Secretary summoned the chief constable of his local force to the Home Office yesterday to discuss how confidential files giving details of his security arrangements were found abandoned on the street outside a pub.

Mike Hedges, the chief constable of South Yorkshire, emerged from the meeting with David Blunkett to say that the loss of the files ­ including aerial photographs of the Home Secretary's house, details of his alarm system and places he regularly visits ­ had caused "significant embarrassment".

The files were found by a man described as a 54-year-old former soldier who handed them to The Sun newspaper, which disclosed the security fiasco yesterday.

Mr Hedges said: "The embarrassment is not what worries me. What worries me is the security and safety of the Home Secretary. It's not something I would have wanted to have happened and I'll do everything I can to ensure it doesn't happen again." He assured Mr Blunkett that an investigation had begun to establish how the file was lost outside the Woodseats Palace pub, close to a police station in Mr Blunkett's home city of Sheffield.

Only 22 copies of the file ­ named Operation Decorator ­ were reportedly issued and circulated to officers, including two assistant chief constables, a chief superintendent and the superintendent in charge of the South Yorkshire task force.

The Sun reported that copies were also sent to Special Branch, the Metropolitan Police and three armed response units in South Yorkshire.

The 11-page dossier, which was found on Monday, is said to include details of how the local force would react if Mr Blunkett was threatened.