Jeremy Corbyn has denied claims by a former Cold War spook that he was allegedly paid by Communist secret police to spy on Britain.

Jan Sarkocy, a former Czech spy, claimed he was the MP's handler during the 1980s for the country's communist secret service Statni Bezpecnost (StB), according to reports.

He alleges he gave Mr Corbyn cash in return for information.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn, who has been the MP for Islington North since 1983, said Mr Sarkocy's story "has more plot holes in it than a bad James Bond movie".

The former agent, whose spy name was Jan Dymic, said Mr Corbyn was named Agent Cob and met with him in the House of Commons, The Sun reported.


Documents show Mr Corbyn met Mr Sarkocy in the House of Commons in 1986, at his constituency office in 1987 and in Parliament later that year, according to the newspaper.

In the third meeting it is alleged Mr Corbyn warned the Czech about British operations against Soviet agents by handing him a newspaper cutting warning that MI5 was investigating suspected spies.

However the spy dismissed the Labour Party's suggestion Mr Corbyn believed he was just a diplomat.

"Everybody knew that 'diplomat' was just a cover for spy," he told Czech media.

"It was a conscious co-operation. Diplomat and agent were the same thing. Corbyn was recruited. He also received money."

Image: Jeremy Corbyn (l) in the 1980s

Mr Sarkocy, who was expelled from the UK by Margaret Thatcher and lives in Bratislava, said the information Mr Corbyn supplied was "rated in Moscow as the number one".

He added: "Mr Corbyn was an honest man, but stupid."

The former spy, 64, said the MP was told he could move to Russia if he got in trouble with the British authorities.

But the Labour leader's spokesman insisted Mr Corbyn has never had any links with the Czech communist regime.

He said: "As Svetlana Ptacnikova, director of the Czech Security Forces Archive, has made clear, Jeremy was neither an agent, asset, informer nor collaborator with Czechoslovak intelligence.

"These claims are a ridiculous smear and entirely false.

"The former Czechoslovak agent Jan Sarkocy’s account of his meeting with Jeremy was false 30 years ago, is false now and has no credibility whatsoever.

"His story has more plot holes in it than a bad James Bond movie."

Ms Ptacnikova said: "Mr Corbyn was neither registered [by the StB] as a collaborator, nor does this [his alleged collaboration] stem from archive documents."

She said the pair met for talks but he was not a spy.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Mr Corbyn "cannot be trusted".

"Time and time again he has sided with those who want to destroy everything that is great about this country," he said.

"That he met foreign spies is a betrayal of this country. He cannot be trusted."