Security chief claims there are more Russian spies in the UK now than at the height of the Cold War
ISIS terrorists are also probing to find weak links in Britain's security network
A LEADING intelligence expert has claimed there are now more Russian spies operating in Britain than at the height of the Cold War.
He reveals foreign spooks are constantly trying to intercept secret communications between arms companies, members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
John Bayliss, a former official at Britain’s highly secret GCHQ, said spies may also be sitting outside buildings in vans intercepting information from computers.
He also warned ISIS terrorists are using the same techniques to find weak links in Britain's security network.
Speaking after his nearly 40-year career at the top agency, which included training Royals, told the : "There are more Russian intelligence agents now than at the height of the cold war."
He said some are involved in traditional state espionage while others are engaged in industrial spying for Russian firms.
Mr Bayliss, who now runs the security consultancy firm Communications Risk Management, added: "A lot of them want information from defence contractors and also the MoD.’
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Earlier this year it emerged there were as many agents working in Britain as there were during the Cold War - around 30.
That figure has since soared to around 100.
Spies are mainly operating in London and cities and towns with a big Royal Navy presence, particularly the Clyde, which is home to the nuclear deterrent.
Mr Bayliss briefed soldiers before they went out to Afghanistan on security issues. He said there was evidence of locals selling cheap sim cards to soldiers outside their bases.
He added: "I advised them not to take advantage of these SIMs as there was no telling what may have been done to them"
Afghanistan family members back in the UK were reportedly even contacted by insurgent terrorists who wrongly told them their husband or son had been killed on the battlefield.
Mr Bayliss, who also briefed Prince Harry on security before he deployed, added: "One of the main aims of terrorists is to terrorise.
The Russians are throwing their weight around so there’s concern about them and Islamic State are also sophisticated enough to be able to use this technology
John Bayliss, ex GCHQ official
"The Russians are throwing their weight around so there’s concern about them and Islamic State are also sophisticated enough to be able to use this technology."
Speaking about another technique, he warned of spies sitting outside buildings and being able to read computer screen images.
"The longer the image is on the screen, the easier it is to recover in its entirety," he said.
"They can also intercept keystrokes due to the electronic pulse the keys emit from up to 25 metres away."
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