The secret's out: MI5 look for a real-life Q

Published on Friday 17 April 2009 22:07

BRITISH security service MI5 is recruiting a real-life Q to equip its agents with the gadgets James Bond would dream of.

The job of chief scientific adviser is being advertised on MI5's website, with the successful applicant expected to use their expertise to thwart terrorist operations around the world.

Candidates for the "unique and challenging" role need to have "world-class scientific expertise and credibility", "strategic skills", "influencing and communication skills" as well as a track record of "managing critical projects and processes in a complex environment".

The post will take up two or three days a week, the advert adds.

According to the government's chief scientific adviser, Professor John Beddington, the new recruit will have to keep up with the latest scientific developments to ensure British intelligence stays one step ahead of the country's enemies.

He said: "It will involve a sort of 'future gazing' to see where technology will be taking us in a year or so.

"There is an important role in providing scientific and technological advice on addressing problems agents in the field will face."

He added: "The chief science adviser has a role to frustrate terrorism to prevent espionage hurting the UK, protect our critical national infrastructure and to frustrate the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

In the James Bond films, Q memorably popped up in exotic locations to demonstrate a range of advanced weapons and gadgets to the suave spy.

Some of the gadgets included a Lotus sports car that could travel underwater, a wrist dart gun, a watch with a built-in laser and a mobile phone with a Taser-like weapons facility.

Lee Marks, director of Spycatcher, an online shop selling surveillance technology, told The Scotsman that technological advances were making it increasingly difficult for MI5 and other security agencies to keep up with their enemies.

"This digital age means everything has become much smaller and much more sophisticated.

"The technology is moving so quickly. Not even MI5 can keep up with what is being developed in the commercial sector."

THE REALITY BEHIND BOND

ASTON Martins armed with missiles and laser-firing wrist watches may be a bit far-fetched, but the kind of ingenuity which has created exploding rats, compasses hidden in buttons and booby-trapped camel dung remains prized by the secret services.

Even sophisticated devices designed to tap into the vast amount of digital information exchanged are cropping up in bizarre, Bond-style disguises.

A transmitter disguised as as rock was allegedly used by British diplomats to transmit sensitive data in Moscow.

And mobile phone scanners are also available to buy – for a cool 400,000.