Westminster found itself at the center of a bizarre security scare this week after a mobile phone—reportedly rigged to play sex noises—was discovered hidden near the front benches of the House of Commons. The device, unearthed just before Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, has prompted an immediate investigation by the Metropolitan Police and led to a clampdown on public access to both the Commons and Lords chambers.
According to BBC News, the phone was found during a routine security sweep of the Commons chamber, mere moments before the weekly high-profile showdown between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch was set to begin. The device’s placement—close to where government ministers sit—was no accident. Police and parliamentary sources believe it was “purposely placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to business in the House.” The prank, as reported by The Times and other outlets, was designed to broadcast sexually explicit audio in the middle of one of Parliament’s most-watched sessions.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the seriousness of the incident in a statement: “At 10:25hrs on Wednesday, 3 September a mobile phone was found during a routine search of the House of Commons chamber by Met officers. Enquiries have led officers to believe that the phone was purposely placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to business in the House. An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing. We have updated the Speaker and Clerk of the House.”
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, addressed the matter directly in an email to MPs and staff, which was later made public. “The mobile phone was found and removed prior to the start of business on 3 September. We believe the phone was deliberately placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to the business in the House. The Met have opened an investigation, and enquiries are ongoing,” he wrote. Hoyle emphasized that, while Parliament is a public building and welcomes thousands of visitors each week, the balance between openness and security must be carefully maintained. “Ensuring Parliament is open to the public we serve is always an important priority, but we must ensure we balance that objective with the requirement to keep Parliament safe and able to function without disruption.”
As a direct response to the incident, parliamentary authorities have rolled out a series of immediate security changes. Audio tours of Parliament have been cancelled outright, and guided tours can now only proceed as far as the bar of the House. Only MPs present in person are permitted to escort guests beyond this point into the chamber itself. The House of Lords has mirrored these restrictions, limiting access beyond the bar to guests of Peers. These measures, which took effect from Saturday, September 6, 2025, will remain in place “until further notice,” according to a UK Parliament spokesperson.
Despite the restrictions, public access to other areas of Parliament remains open. UK residents and tourists can still book guided tours of the Palace of Westminster, though the main chambers are off-limits for now. A spokesperson for Parliament told BBC News: “While investigations continue, we have decided to temporarily limit full public tours in both Chambers from Saturday 6 September, until further notice. Public access to the rest of Parliament is unaffected and remains open as usual. We have robust and proactive security measures in place in Parliament and the safety and security of everyone who works or visits here remains our top priority.”
The timing of the incident has raised eyebrows. The phone was discovered while hundreds of security staff at the Houses of Parliament were on strike over pay and conditions, as reported by The Times. With visitors banned from the estate that day, speculation has mounted that the device may have been planted earlier in the week, possibly taking advantage of reduced oversight. No footage has yet been found showing how or when the phone was placed, and authorities remain tight-lipped about the details of their ongoing investigation.
For those familiar with British political theatre, the stunt bears a striking resemblance to a notorious 2023 incident during a live broadcast of Match of the Day, when pornographic audio was played unexpectedly, causing widespread embarrassment. Yet, as one parliamentary source told The Times, “It looks like it was just a prank but it could have been much worse.” The same source noted the potential for far more dangerous scenarios: “We don’t know how it got there.” The underlying fear is that a prank of this nature could expose vulnerabilities that might be exploited for more sinister purposes.
Parliamentary authorities have been keen to stress that security is already robust, with all visitors and their belongings subject to screening, access controls, monitoring, and routine searches—especially in areas open to the public. A Parliament spokesperson reiterated: “The safety and security of everyone who works or visits here remains our top priority, and we have robust and proactive security measures in place – this includes ensuring that visitors and their belongings are security screened, along with monitoring and routine searches of areas that are open to the public. While we cannot comment on the detail of our processes, we can confirm that a mobile phone was removed from the Commons Chamber on 3 September – demonstrating the effectiveness of the security measures we have in operation.”
Nevertheless, the breach has sparked a broader review of how public access to Parliament is managed. Sir Lindsay Hoyle assured colleagues that “we are reviewing the management of public access to both Chambers, along with security arrangements and we will provide a further update as soon as this work is complete.” The challenge, as always, is finding the right balance between making Parliament accessible to the people it serves and safeguarding its ability to function without disruption or risk.
The incident has also reignited debates about the openness of British democracy. Some argue that restricting public access, even temporarily, undermines transparency and the connection between Parliament and the public. Others insist that, given the nature of the breach, such measures are both sensible and necessary until the full facts are known. While the investigation continues, the public can expect regular updates from both the Speaker’s office and the Metropolitan Police.
For now, the prank has served as a stark reminder that even the most venerable institutions are not immune to disruption—and that, sometimes, the line between mischief and menace can be perilously thin.
