Senior Bristol counter-terror expert loses briefcase on train

An investgation has been launched after a senior police intelligence worker involved in counter-terrorism in Bristol lost his brief case on a train.

Keith Jackson, who is understood to be second in command at the South West Regional Intelligence Unit based at Avon and Somerset police headquarters, was travelling from London to Bristol when he mislaid the case on July 15th.

Police insist that there was no sensitive information in the case and that no police operations have been compromised.

But an insider said today: "The brief case contained SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) documents about terrorism, immigration and serious crime.

"This has caused a full investigation aimed at recovering these documents, but they have not been found."

Mr Jackson, a civilian intelligence officer whose status is equivalent to the rank of chief inspector, is an employee of Gloucestershire police but is seconded to the regional unit in Bristol.

Gloucestershire police confirmed today that "a restricted document" had been misplaced.

In a statement, a force spokeswoman said: "A member of Gloucestershire Constabulary police staff working at the Regional Intelligence Unit has misplaced a restricted document.

"The document has been assessed and the information contained in it is considered to be low risk.

"No operational activity has been compromised by the document?s loss and it did not contain any personal data.

"Enquiries into the circumstances around the loss of the document are ongoing."

The spokeswoman refused to confirm the name of Mr Jackson or the circumstances in which the documents went missing.

The insider said: "I don't know how many different investigations or cases were involved in the lost paperwork but I do know that SOCA are panicking.

"I gather the papers are mostly to do with terrorism and immigration issues."