Smacks of a 'put up job' along the lines of The Man Who Never Was. Why should the person who picked up the document had it t the BBC and not MI5 or 6? was the device of handing it to the BBC excuse the resulting maximum publicity? Something wrong here.

William Paterson, Dunlavin, Republic of ireland

In Canada, the same thing just happened except one of the Mnisters left his stuff at his girlfriend's place, who had previously dated Hells Angels members. Now all we need to hear is that this UK civil servant also dated Julie Couillard and the circle will be complete.

Sarah, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Last time I checked, almost all citizens of UK had a pair of "UK" eyes. So whats the issue ?

John Taylor, London,

These documents were handed to the BBC on Tuesday.

Why did they wait till minutes before the vote yesterday evening to break the news, holding onto further evidence that this government can't be trusted with anything related to terrorism/security issues?

More blatant political bias from the BBC?

JC, Bournemouth, Dorset

Ooops
Is this an Austin Powers sequell ??
the Home Secretary and the mad Scotsman should be held accountable -
theranked officer / individual from the intelligence department is a contradication-

Dr.Keith Skelton, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Susan asked "What sort of person hands in this find
to the BBC instead of immediately taking it to a police station,
or the MoD?
Answer: A sensible, right-thinking member of society, who doesn't want to waste a lot of time dealing with the same kind of idiots as lost the papers in the first place.

Tim Bartlett, Upwell, Norfolk

Is it just me or does anyone else detect the hand of Sir Humphrey at work here?

AKULA, london, UK

Find top secret documents and hand them into the police??
You will find yourself in Belmarsh for 28 days (42 if Gordon has his way) as they check your details, have you copied them are you a security risk yourself etc.
Going directly to the police would be foolish.

Allen, Leeds, England

“For UK, US, Canadian and Australian eyes only” - Obviously shouldn't have been left on a train but, deosn't sound a particualrly sensitive document. Dissapointing.

Simon, London, UK

Where does the government find these idiots from? I sat the exams for the civil service and I found them incredibally tough........how do these clowns get through?

Luke, London, UK

There is more in this story than meets the eye. It seems incredible that someone (presumably honest) would give the papers to Al Beeb rather than the police stretches the mind.

The contents will already be in the hands of Al-Qaeda

Mike, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sapphie from Windsor: I think it is you that needs to pull the wool away from your eyes, and anyone else for that matter that thinks that this is a genuine mistake.

This is by virtue of design, not blunder.

Wake up please

Tony, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Richard Garland,

I was thinking the same thing. Just goes to show how much 'our' government trusts Europe when it comes to matters of defence perhaps?

Alex, Salisbury, UK

Nothing new. I once sat next to a man on my daily commute who was less-than-discretely poring over the disaster recovery plans (for use in the event of a terrorist attack) for a regional police headquarters - I believe it may have been Devon & Cornwall, but don't hold me to that.......

David L, Bath,

I was surprised and amazed by the shock and surprise of the latest incompetence. Oh, and why the added surprise at the documents passing through the BBC? Soundbite and headline are the substance of the day.

Mike, Midlands, UK

"For previous examples, I refer you to the Shelock Holmes adventure of the Bruce-Partington plans - and the perpetrator in that case also lived in Surrey!"

Er, that was fiction, Sapphie - you know, not real

SD, London,

Michael John Smith spied on behalf of the soviets handing them technical data on the UK's nuclear weapons. A premeditated act of espionage motivated by his communist sympathies and financial gain. MJS is a traitor whilst this fellow is probably just an idiot.

M I Sichs, luton, uk

The MOD certainly would not make this public. These documents could have been sold to the enemies!

It's a sad day that there are people who are not capable of looking after important government documents. How do we expect them to look after our security?

V Tan, London,

How crass to give to to the BBC of all bodies - might as well have given it to al-Qaeda!!

alan routledge, chester, england

While in the Royal Navy, I was subject to extremely tight rules about classified documents. Such an incident would have led to a Court-Martial and a severe penalty. What will happen to the perpetrator?

Tom Fallowfield, Braemar,

Another catastrophe in a line of them and this same government still insists that information gathered for ID cards is "safe with them". I don't think so, whether deliberate or not.

P. Kelly, Beverley, UK

Dear people of the Commonwealth & USA,

Documents were left on the train on purpose.

Flaw → 'founder' didn't copy-post to several other media.

Al-Quaeda is NOT what presented.
[ "BBC - Power of Nightmares" ]
BBC is not corrupt; only afraid and obedient.

This is what I think,
Thank you =o)

K, Lju,

A little odd - you don't normally take these documents out of the office. And when you're carrying them you are acutely aware that you have them.

How on earth can someone leave them on a train? Unless it was another Navy Budget trick to leak without actually being charged with leaking?

T Massingham, Gloucester, UK

I note from BBC programmes that at least two of their reporters (Mark Urban and Frank Gardner) claimed, and appeared, to have read these files in detail. I t is rather worrying that they thought it appropriate to do so - even though
both of them were very careful not to reveal anything on air.

Chris, Ashford, Middx, England

From whence did the document come? No 10. and who is boss there? Calamity Brown. but he was out making the UK secure (42 days) from terrorists so it could not have been him - good alibi!
This has the makings of a superb comedy show on security!
I hope the perpetrator is put in custody for 28 days

M. Cawdery, ramone, Co. UK, EU.

Victor Arram of Westclif, asks whether the person who read the documents be asked to sign the Official Secrets Act.

That would be a waste of time as we are all subject to it wheteher we have read or signed it.

Chris, Ashford, Middx, England

Andrew Milner of Karuizawa, Japan, comments on the varied transliteration "al Qaida" or "al Qaeda". Both are valid since arabic has only the one short vowel covering the sounds e and i.

Chris, Ashford, Middx, England

Right thing to hand it to BBC. If hed returned it to MOD they would have lost them again- we wouldnt be any wiser. Now its out in the open, we know exactly what idiots run this conuntry. The loser should be named and shamed. Arrest him under official secrets act. Maybe he can apear on Big Brother.

Lucas Tatek, Herts., uk

No spin or public manipulation behind this little accident at all is there? This government are sickening. NOTHING will ever get me to vote Labour again. I support the UK but if the only way to get this lot out of power forever is to vote SNP then so be it.

Colin, Glasgow, UK

t Devitt - don't be silly. The BBC people would not pay cash for this. (If they did, they would go to jail, but they wouldn't anyway). This is a public-spirited person, making sure that these documents did not fall into the wrong hands but also that we knew about the lapse.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

In future if you find goverment documents on the train dont give them to the bbc so the the goverment can have progander out of it, scan them and put them on wiki leeks so we can all see them!

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

Rahul, Bombay: your incredulity displays a lack of awareness of the extent to which such incompetence has always devilled our public services. For previous examples, I refer you to the Shelock Holmes adventure of the Bruce-Partington plans - and the perpetrator in that case also lived in Surrey!

Sapphie, Windsor,

So documents were left on the train, the person who did this is suspended, for how long? He will be back in a week or so, as he knows too much to be sacked. But what about the person who read the documents, will Mi5 be seeking him out to sign the official secrets act, after all, he might sell info.

victor arram, westclif,

I hope the answer to Susan Humphret's question is that the finder handed the documents to the BBC ( rather than to the M.O.D. or police) not for personal gain but because he/she realised that in so doing this deplorable lack of care would definitely be reported as opposed to hushed up.

Peter Williams, Bristol , England

The Secret al-Qaeda files says "al-Qaeda" doesn't exist. This must not get into the wrong hands.

jayil, london, uk

The secret of great comedy? Timing!

Mike L, Chippenham, Wilts

This is more intrigue, clearly there is more to this than meets the eye, how does a senior intelligence official leave top secret docs on a train as if it were a newspaper or something? He won't be reading them in a public place so why were out of the briefcase? Too many loose ends, hard to believe.

Rahul, Bombay,

A) why did they take it to the BBC? For a little cash?
b) How long did the BBC have them before they notified some one?
c) If the BBC did pay for them are they buying state secrets? Is this illegal?
D) If they are so secret why aren't they in a secure location? Not with on guy on a train.

t. Devitt, cumberland bc, Canada

The loser should be disciplined for using public transport while in possession of such documents. The finder should be prosecuted for theft. The BBC, however, should be prosecuted under the official secrets act. Not only did they read and photograph it - they retained it for over 24hours

Irx, Devon,

Good to see the person who found them acted with responsibly and with integrity and returned them to the police - oh that's right they went to the media instead.

Sarah, London, UK

What a coincidence on the day of the 42 days detention vote. Leave a document on the train where it's obviously going to be found, showing how dangerous Al Qaeda are. But don't worry people; Gordon will protect us all.

Neil , Bournemouth,

It's hilarious and depressing at the same time to see how dilettantish UK intelligence / security services and government officials handle sensitive information while at the same time paving the way for even more extensive data collections by the police state. Am I glad I'm just a studying guest...

Tom, Newcastle, UK

The whole things a joke!

I think we all can have an educated guess at what was inside.

"Al quaeda" funded by certain countries, ones which have not had extremist violence in that region.

Iraq we created a threat which was not there before.

Iraqi soldiers useless.

X billion pounds

PEG, Highworth, England

In 1993 I was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possessing an old document marked "restricted", which had become obsolete in 1984. The document never left my possession nor was offered to any enemy. So what penalty will this guy receive for leaving secret documents for a terrorist to find.

Michael John Smith, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Whoever handed this to the BBC did exactly the RIGHT thing. If it had been handed to the Minsitry of Defence or Police as Susan suggests, do you think we would have heard of this breach? Now someone has to be held accountable. Security in the civil service appears to be a joke under this govt.

Martin, North West, UK

"" “For UK, US, Canadian and Australian eyes only." ""

Interesting - no mention of Europe ?

We are only run by them.

Richard Garland, Manchester,

Call me an old cynic but a document telling us how dangerous Al Qaida remains is leaked - sorry 'left on a train and handed to the BBC' - on the same day the government needs propaganda to justify the curbing of civil liberties. Mmm...

Graham, Birmingham, UK

The actual documents use "al Qaida", while Times and BBC spell it a-Qaeda. Isn't it about time those concerned got their transliteration act together? And do you really buy that "accidentally left on train" load of old dingoes' kidneys? "Important documents: I know. I'll take them to the BBC." Yesterday; born.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

I thought that drinking on trains had been banned.

Adrian, London,

How interesting that the BBC sat on this information for a whole day to make sure their New Labour masters got the anti-freedom 42 day detention bill passed, and THEN release the information on this find as the votes were being counted.

David Smythe, Slough, UK

Secret because they don't want the electorate to know perhaps.

richard mullens, London, Europe

I used to work for GCHQ and recall how such documents had to be locked in a special briefcase when outside the office. A junior official, I was left in no doubt about the personal consequences if this was breached.

It will be interesting to see how a "very senior intelligence officer" is treated.

Chris K, Cheltenham, UK

People of that intellectual level rarely make such obvious gaffes, maybe a whistle blower in cognito? Who knows, strange though, don't you think? Unfortunately we will never know just what we were intended to find out!

Graham, Littlehampton,

Will the person who lost the files now be subject to 42 days detention without trial. Surely it should be so - this was a very dangerous breach of security.

M. Cawdery, Portadown, Co. UK, EU

Another shambles by our "security" services!

WHY was it out on a train being read or able to be left!

These documents should be in a locked briefcase and only viewed in secure locations!

It's not rocket science is it, so they deserve everything they get!

Document worth a fortune on black market

Andy, North East, England,

How interesting. What sort of person hands in this find
to the BBC instead of immediately taking it to a police station,
or the Ministry of Defence. Their action is totally irresponsible and deliberate . I sincerely hope no money was involved in the hand over to the BBC.

Susan Humphret, New Milton, Hampshire