Terror blunder: photographer who snapped Bob Quick has embarrassed the Government before in Downing Street

In May last year, he took a photograph of housing minister Caroline Flint walking along Downing Street, holding briefing papers which laid bare fears of a 10 per cent fall in the housing market. He said last night that he had tried to warn the Government before that photographers were able to read top secret papers when people go through the door of 10 Downing Street. He said: "I have told Downing Street before that the quality of lenses and digital lenses means that we can read ministerial papers. "Someone in Bob Quick's position should have known that. He must have been sitting with them on his lap in his car. Anyone could have read them. There was no cover on them."