Scotland Yard took the man into police custody last Wednesday over the incident, which raised concerns that important messages about Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment could be lost
Police have made an arrest over Morgan McSweeney’s phone theft(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of selling former Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney’s stolen phone.
Scotland Yard took the man into police custody last Wednesday and he was later bailed. He is not suspected of involvement in the original theft on October 20 last year, the force said.
The theft sparked concerns that important messages over Lord Peter Mandelson’s controversial appointment as US ambassador could be lost.
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MPs had moved in February to force the Government to publish thousands of files amid questions over what was known of the peer’s links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before he was handed the Washington job.
It comes after the first tranche of files revealed the PM was warned of the risks of appointing Lord Mandelson, with the appointment branded “weirdly rushed” by national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
Earlier this year a 999 transcript revealed when first reporting the incident, Mr McSweeney failed to tell police he was Keir Starmer’s chief of staff when his phone was stolen.
He contacted 999 on October 20 last year and reported that a “government device” had been stolen., and explained he gave chase but the thief, who was riding a bicycle, got away. Police then recorded the wrong address for the crime, assuming it had taken place on a road with a similar name five miles away.
In a highly unusual move, the Metropolitan Police released the call log in March in a furious riposte to reports they were “too busy” to investigate the theft of the device. The call log shows Mr McSweeney said it was a Government phone but did not spell out his role in Downing Street or the sensitivity of the messages on his phone.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers investigating the theft of a mobile phone in Belgrave Road, Pimlico, on October 20 2025 have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The arrest took place on Wednesday April 29 at an address in Peckham. The man was taken into police custody and later bailed.
“He is suspected of receiving the phone after it was stolen and then selling it on. He is not suspected of any involvement in the original theft. The phone has not been recovered.”
