It was a diplomatic incident so bizarre it became an episode in the television sitcom Yes, Prime Minister — but the British cabinet was not laughing at the time.
Newly declassified cabinet minutes reveal the government's astonishment that a French security officer, in London for the state visit of President Francois Mitterrand, had placed two containers of explosives inside the grounds of the French embassy, apparently to test the efficiency of the British security services.
When discovered and questioned by the police, the operative was found to have additional explosives on him, which were seized.
The man had apparently avoided airport security checks by revealing he was an intelligence officer.
