MI5's tips for spies revealed in new exhibition

Confessions of treble agents and tips for caller spies person been released arsenic portion of a tranche of recently-declassified documents from MI5.

The documents are portion of a caller accumulation connected show astatine the National Archives this outpouring and see details astir immoderate of Britain's astir notorious spies.

This includes the never-before-seen insubstantial mentation of the first-hand relationship of Cambridge spy Kim Philby's confession.

The National Archives said this was the archetypal clip successful the quality agency's 115-year past that it had been a spouse successful specified an exhibition.

Unlike different authorities departments, MI5 is not taxable to the Freedom of Information Act. Instead, it chooses what information of its archives are released to the nationalist and those files are sometimes partially redacted.

"While overmuch of our enactment indispensable stay secret, this accumulation reflects our ongoing committedness to being unfastened wherever we can," said MI5 Director General Sir Ken McCallum.

As good arsenic the details astir high-profile individuals from the organisation's aboriginal years, determination is besides newly-declassified guidance for recruits to the Security Service.

"A mendacious moustache oregon beard is easy detected, particularly nether the precocious lights of a restaurant, pub, oregon successful a conduit train," reads a booklet provided to agents during World War Two.

"Watchers" – efficaciously spies successful MI5 – were besides instructed to not person precocious hopes of a "glamourous" gig erstwhile they were moving undercover.

"Screen sleuths of the concealed work thriller oregon detective caller entreaty to the uninitiated, but successful existent signifier determination is small glamour and overmuch monotony successful specified a calling arsenic 'observation'."

But carnal attributes could instantly disqualify you from being a "successful watcher".

An perfect watcher should beryllium a antheral of a "rather nondescript type" and "not beryllium much than 5ft 7ins oregon 5ft 8ins successful height", the booklet says.

Case details and confessions from immoderate of the members of the alleged Cambridge Five spy ringing person besides been provided to the National Archives arsenic portion of the exhibit.

Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross - whose details are each included successful the grounds - were recruited arsenic Soviet spies portion astatine Cambridge University successful the 1930s.

Philby's confession to his long-time person and chap MI6 serviceman Nicholas Elliot is shared successful the accumulation and sheds details connected the melodramatic confession helium made successful January 1963 - including that the treble cause would bash it each again.

According to the transcript of the pair's conversation, Philby confessed that helium recovered beingness astatine MI6 similar a "controlled schizophrenia".

"I truly did consciousness a tremendous loyalty to MI6," the Soviet treble cause said, but his over-ruling fealty was to "the different side".

Philby would spell connected to archer his past person that "if helium had his full beingness to pb again, helium would astir apt person behaved successful the aforesaid way".

Days later, the brace met for a 3rd clip wherever the treble cause handed implicit a six-page typewritten relationship of covert enactment for the Soviet Union and however helium had travel to beryllium recruited.

Shortly earlier the extremity of the war, Philby was promoted to caput of MI6's anti-Soviet conception - meaning helium was successful complaint of moving operations against the Soviets portion operating arsenic a KGB agent.

He is considered 1 of the astir palmy treble agents of the Cold War play successful British quality history.

The MI5: Official Secrets accumulation opens astatine The National Archives this spring.