White House plays down palace intruder

The White House voiced confidence in British security yesterday after an undercover reporter infiltrated Buckingham Palace and posed as a footman in President George W. Bush's royal suite.

As the palace launched an urgent investigation into the embarrassing breach, Bush's team played down fears that his critics in Britain - be it by protest or sleuth - would burst the "bubble" in which the president usually travels.

"We have every confidence in the British security," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan told reporters.

Ms Buchan spoke hours after a tabloid journalist said he had tricked his way onto the palace staff in the run-up to Mr Bush's visit and, as a royal footman, was even due to serve breakfast to the Bush retinue yesterday morning.

"We are living in an age of terror. We employed very basic subterfuge here and got incredible access," said Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan. "It's on one level almost bordering on the humorous, but in fact it's incredibly serious."

A red-faced Buckingham Palace said it would launch an urgent probe after a lapse that the Daily Mirror said could have exposed the world's most powerful man to a terror attack at the heart of the British establishment.

"We are conducting a full investigation into how this reporter came to be employed at the palace," said a spokeswoman.

The British government insisted the president was never at risk from the liveried intruder and said the main task now was to ensure Bush remained shielded from any violent protesters.

"This person did not pose a risk to the president or to the queen," said Home Secretary (interior minister) David Blunkett, who announced an independent review into the whole system of how royal servants are vetted.

"We are now turning our attention to those who may cause a risk, and those who use the right of peaceful demonstration to piggy-back their violent aims," he said.

Allies Britain and the United States had worked hand in glove to ensure Bush was protected from the tens of thousands of demonstrators expected to march against him while ensuring his British critics retained their right to protest.