Prince Andrew 'ceased all contact' with alleged Chinese spy after 'concerns were raised'

The statement says: “The Duke of York followed advice from HMG and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.

“The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.

“He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”

It comes as King Charles, 76, has been briefed by British intelligence over a major security breach linking Prince Andrew to an alleged Chinese spy, according to claims in The Mirror.

He was told counter-intelligence officers are probing how the duke accepted the now banished Chinese suspect as his “confidante”.

It emerged after the foreign “agent” lost his appeal this week against being barred from the UK as a threat to national security, having become friendly with Prince Andrew.

A royal source told the publication: “The King has been briefed about this situation regarding the suspected Chinese spy and is very aware of what has been and what is being done about it.”

The Duke of York’s latest scandal was exposed after an alleged Chinese spy lost his appeal this week against being barred from the UK.

The man, known only as H6, brought the case after being banned in March 2023 on national security grounds despite having become a close contact of the Duke of York.

Judges heard H6 formed a close working relationship with Prince Andrew, receiving an invite to his birthday party in 2020 and being told he could act on his behalf.

But now it appears the UK's MI5 domestic intelligence agency suspects the prince’s confidante may have become a “gateway” agent used to forge a path into Andrew’s network.

Once a “gateway” is established that person would be able then introduce Chinese intelligence officers into the network being targeted, in this case Prince Andrew and his associates.

Counter intelligence officers at MI5 are investigating how deeply H6 could have penetrated the royals’ network of contacts and who else could have been targeted by China.

The suspect is believed to have worked for the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which launches “influence operations.”

H6 brought his case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, set up to consider appeals against bans from the country on national security or related grounds.

But the judge said that the then-home secretary, Suella Braverman, was "entitled to conclude H6 represented a risk to UK national security and that she was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and proportionate.”

The hearing found H6 surrendered a number of electronic devices, including a mobile phone, after being stopped by UK border security in November 2021.