Dominic Raab’s bodyguard suspended after he ‘left gun on plane’

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab during a press conference. Photograph: Peter Summers/PA.

Dominic Raab’s police protection officer has been suspended from duties after leaving his gun on a plane.

The officer had been travelling with the foreign secretary on a visit to the US when he left his gun on a plane at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday.

The gun was reportedly found by a cleaner.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the incident on a flight into the UK on Friday, 18 September and we are taking this matter extremely seriously.

“The officer involved has since been removed from operational duties whilst an internal investigation into the circumstances is taking place.”

In a similar incident in February this year, former prime minister David Cameron’s bodyguard left his gun in a plane toilet.

Passports belonging to Cameron and the officer were also found alongside the weapon, according to newspaper reports at the time.

The gun, believed to be a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, was found by a passenger, who handed it to flight attendants on a transatlantic flight.

Raab visited Washington this week to speak with senior figures including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on issues of Brexit and Northern Ireland.

The foreign secretary said he had “very positive discussions” with Republicans and Democrats, after senior US politicians warned they will not support any free trade pact with the UK if Britain fails to uphold its commitments to Northern Ireland as part of Brexit.

Democratic Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who also met with Raab during his visit, said she “welcomed his assurances” but warned: “If the UK violates its international agreements and Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be absolutely no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress.”