ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Secret documents from Britain’s chemical warfare base Porton Down have reportedly been found dumped in a London bin.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an investigation after it was told thousands of pages of sensitive information were found discarded.

A member of the public is said to have made the discovery of the files, which reportedly date from the early 1980s to the end of 2017.

They alerted the Daily Star about the documents found in a recycling bin at a car park in north London.

Information on the papers included details of equipment carried by guards at the top-secret Wiltshire site, according to the newspaper.

Details about the responsibilities of specialised police who patrol the base and the password to computer systems were also reportedly found.

Scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down were involved in conducting tests after the Sergei Skripal poisoning.

Russian double agent Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to Novichok in Salisbury last year.

A spokesman for the MoD confirmed an investigation into the incident was under way.

He said: "We take the protection of personal data very seriously and we have a range of procedures in place to do so, including complying with the Data Protection Act.

"We also expect third parties who legitimately hold our data to apply similar strict protections.

"We can confirm that an investigation has been launched into the alleged incident."