Weapons including batons, tasers and a rifle have been lost or stolen from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and police forces across the UK over the past five years, The i Paper can reveal.
Thousands of electronic devices, including computers, laptops, memory sticks, tablets and hard drives, were also reported as missing by the MoD and 34 police forces across England, Scotland and Wales between 2021 and 2025.
A Colt Canada C8 assault rifle, among weapons used by the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) in close combat, went missing last year according to data obtained by The i Paper through freedom of information laws.
Survival packs, a £239 washing machine, eight helmets, 80 bullets, three body armour plates and “large missile cases” were also reported as lost or stolen from various locations last year.
An MoD spokesperson said the department takes the “security of defence assets extremely seriously”.
When MoD assets are reported as lost or missing due to suspected criminal activity, the MoD takes “the necessary steps to investigate, prosecute and recover the items”, the spokesperson added.
According to the data, 787 devices – mainly laptops – were lost by police forces last year, down from 1,436 missing items in 2024.
Overall, more than 5,000 UK government and public sector weapons, ammunition, and devices went missing between 2021 and 2025.
Authorities point to tools like device encryption as a safeguard against data exposure, but experts warn that lost hardware raises the risk of a cyber attack or other security breach.
Tasers, bullets and explosives ‘go missing’
The Metropolitan Police and Humberside Police recorded 26 units of cartridges and rounds as missing, while Leicestershire Police said weapons or explosive munitions had been recorded as missing between 2022 and 2025 on five occasions, without providing further detail.
The Met Police also reported that two Tasers and four Taser cartridges were lost last year, the FOI data shows.
Surrey Police recorded 23 police batons as missing in 2024, and a further 8 in 2025.
Of the 4,413 technological devices reported as lost or stolen by police forces over the five-year period, at least 107 were recovered, but the vast majority remained missing.
A spokesperson for the Met said it takes the “security of police equipment and information extremely seriously”, adding that it has “robust procedures in place to minimise the risk of loss or theft”.
They added that electronic devices are “protected by a range of security measures, including encryption and access controls”, adding that any report of missing or stolen equipment is reviewed and, if needed, investigated.
Over the same period some 1,300 laptops, computers and memory sticks have been recorded as lost or stolen from the MoD, of which at least 44 have been recovered.
The department said that more than 300 of the devices were lost between January 2025 and April this year.
Lost devices ‘behind real breaches’
Alan Woodward, a professor at the University of Surrey specialising in cyber security, told The i Paper that institutions like the police and armed forces treat lost and stolen devices “as background noise” but he warned: “Nationally the data shows that lost devices in the public sector – not just MoD – are behind a meaningful share of real breaches so these figures need to be acted upon.”
One notable example includes a laptop stolen from a Royal Navy recruiting officer’s vehicle in 2008 which contained the details of 600,000 people. According to a statement delivered by then defence secretary Des Browne, the majority of data belonged to people who had “expressed an interest in joining the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force”.
He told MPs that in some cases, the data included “no more than a name”, but “for about 153,000 people who progressed as far as submitting an application form to join the forces, more extensive personal data are held, including passport details, national insurance numbers, driver’s licence details, family details, doctors’ addresses and national health service numbers; for about 3,700 people, banking details were also included”.
In 2018, an unencrypted USB stick belonging to a Heathrow Airport worker was found on a West London street revealing sensitive security files including details of routes and safeguards for Cabinet ministers, foreign dignitaries and the late Queen Elizabeth.
Glasgow City Council was fined £150,000 in 2013 for the loss of two unencrypted laptops, one of which contained personal details of more than 20,000 people.
Tristan Caulfield, associate professor in the Information Security Group of at UCL’s Department of Computer Science, said the impact of someone accessing sensitive information on lost devices “could be significant” but he said the probability of that happening is probably extremely low, meaning the overall risk is probably low”.
He added: “While it’s possible to defeat some methods of device encryption by attacking the hardware, doing so requires a high level of sophistication.”
Caulfield suggested the MoD “probably has a very good security culture due to the nature of the organisation and the individuals who work there probably have a strong understanding of the importance of acting securely, meaning most device losses will be reported.
“If there was any sensitive information on a lost device they would be able to act to mitigate the impact,” he added.
An MoD spokesperson said: “If any assets are reported lost or missing due to suspected criminal activity, we take the necessary steps to investigate, prosecute and recover the items.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said numbers of lost or stolen electronic items have declined significantly since 2024.
“Any report of missing or stolen equipment is subject to review and/or investigation. We continually review our procedures to help prevent future losses and maintain public confidence,” they added.
A spokesperson for the City of London Police said: “As part of an IT upgrade last year, officers and staff were issued new laptops; we are in the process of reclaiming any obsolete laptops which have not yet been returned. These devices are encrypted and can no longer access City of London Police networks.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said the force takes the “protection of all information assets extremely seriously and comply with the National Policing Information Systems Community Security Policy (CSP) which ensures security standards are maintained”.
The spokesperson said the force has a “range of measures in place to reduce the risk of incidents occurring, and we provide police officers and staff with ongoing training and guidance to support them to avoid data breaches, security incidents and lost or stolen devices”.
Hence then, the article about sas assault rifle and a 239 washing machine among thousands of lost mod items was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( SAS assault rifle and a £239 washing machine among thousands of lost MoD items )
Also on site :