Google Street View criticised for showing images of secret SAS headquarters

By Andrew Hough 400PM GMT nineteen March 2010

Users could obviously see the bottom noted on the make make use of of after it was graphic by the Street Car service. Photo GOOGLE

The opening to the base, that has never prior to appeared on maps for security reasons, can simply be identified on the images, heading to fears it could be used for militant planning.

Users can even see the base, in the country"s west, is obviously noted as "British SAS" on the website.

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It additionally offers a minute 180 grade perspective of the fringe boundary.

The images, all taken inside of the past 6 months, additionally show a troops ambulance and a troops car at the gates of the bottom along with 3 guards.

The disclosures serve fuelled remoteness concerns after the make make use of of was progressing this month stretched to cover 95 per cent of Britains roads or a entertain of million miles.

MPs and troops chiefs demanded Google remove the pictures, claiming it done the SAS a aim for militant attacks.

But Google shielded the pictures, observant it had no plans to take them off their site.

The Ministry of Defence has never done the expect sum of the bottom open but the place of the nearest encampment is accessible online.

"Military chiefs have had concerns with Google Street View for a little time," one troops source said.

"It is rarely insane for troops bases, generally special forces, to be graphic on the internet.

"Google claims it blurs faces and series plates to equivocate people being identified but one inapplicable designation could be really dangerous arms for a terrorist."

They combined ""The subject is, because risk a really critical security crack for the consequence of carrying a design on a website?""

Paul Keetch, the internal MP, marked down the footage unsuitable "during a time of viewed terrorism".

""There needs to be a sure grade of patience shown by people similar to Google," pronounced the Lib Dem part of for Hereford MP

""I wouldn"t wish a militant to be desirous by these cinema and it would be abominable if any assistance at all was since to the enemies.

"We all know where the Palace of Westminister is, we all know where the SAS stay is, but the issue is if you"re going in to such item in such a approach that you can criticise the security of that building, that could be a problem.""

One man, who did not wish to be declared but is compared with base, pronounced ""The SAS conducts operations where privacy is positively critical to their success.

""Terrorists could potentially make make use of of their home computers to tract an conflict able of apocalyptic consequences on the base. That"s frightening.""

A Google orator pronounced the make make use of of would not take down the images.

""One in five people already make make use of of Google Street View for residence sport and the intrigue has formerly launched in twenty countries but any crack of security issues," he said.

""Google usually takes images from open roads and this is no opposite to what any one could see travelling down the highway themselves, thus there is no discernible security risk.

""We"re happy to plead any concerns as they arise.""

A orator for the MoD pronounced it did not criticism on where any special forces were based.

"The MOD cannot forestall satellites receiving imagery of the establishments however we safeguard that stairs are taken to strengthen rarely supportive equipment," he said.

"It would be unreal to ask Google to repel images as they can be simply performed from alternative sources over that we have no influence."