Spy games: Secret service launches online test for MI5 entrants

MI5 is advertising for Mobile Surveillance Officers and the spy agency has created a series of games as part of its recruitment drive.

Potential applicants' observation, memory skills and attention to detail are measured to give an indication of whether they have what it takes to be MI5's next top spy.

One of the three tests involves remembering the colours of vehicles passing by and recalling exact details of overhead questions.

Another sees your deduction skills put to the test by asking you about your interpretation of a diplomatic incident after giving you 10 minutes to read fictional case notes.

A map reading quiz is also playable with the ability to read an A-Z crucial for the role.

At the end of the tests you are given a score - and if you have shown promise you are even encouraged to apply.

As someone who has fancies themselves as a bit of a sleuth I gave the tests ago.

The first part of the observation test is similar to the hazard perception task when trying to get your driving licence.

I was shown a 10-second clip of a busy high street.

I frantically counted the number of bikes, motorcycles and made a mental note of the colour of cars, the passing people and the various shops.

This part of the test proved to be straight forward and I was confident I got all the answers correct.

But the next stage was a different matter completely.

As well trying to observe everything that is going on in a busy high street you get shown snapshots of people's conversations that flash up for no more than two seconds.

I was then tested on what I had overheard.

Trying to take in a plethora of information as well as absorbing what else was going on really was mission impossible.

The deduction test centres around case files on Dina Flantcolf from the Pzendan Foreign Intelligence Service who is living in London, her husband, and the fact they suddenly get summoned back to the fictional country of Pzenda.

Questions centre around your reading of the situation. In some cases there are no right or wrong answers.

This is challenging as you try to paint a picture in your head over what is going on. I scored lower in this than in the observational test - but still high enough to be encouraged to apply...the dream goes on.

The work of Mobile Surveillance Officers is described as 'vital' to national security and will see agents work two weekends in every five.

Once you get through the tests there are still several hurdles to jump.

As this is a covert role, you have to be discrete.

So hard luck if you are tall, have tattoos, or are a bad driver.

The security guidance states: "Any distinguishing features such as tattoos on your face, neck or forearms would make you more recognisable to someone who is under surveillance and would therefore make you unsuitable for this role.

"Mobile surveillance officers follow subjects who've been identified by intelligence officers as potential threats to national security.

"It's all about observing people and places, either on foot or by vehicle, and to do that it is vital that you blend in to your environment."

It also warns that male applicants must be no taller than 6ft 1in and females no taller than 5ft 8in, to avoid standing out from the crowd.

Surveillance officers must also have no more than six penalty points on their driving licence and be able to read a map and use compass points, the agency adds.

The job application form also reveals which brands of road atlas are preferred by MI5.

"To prepare, you should familiarise yourself with the Master Atlas of Greater London (A-Z) and Philip's Navigator Britain road maps," it advises applicants.

"You should also practice planning and driving routes in your local area."

The jobs are all in the Greater London area and operates have to live within 70 miles of HQ at Horseferry Road, in Westminster.

The public recruitment drive is a far cry from the days even MI5's existence was even shrouded in secrecy.

It was not until 25 years ago that the Security Services Act 1989 formally acknowledged its existence in the wake of former MI5 officer Peter Wright's memoir, Spycatcher in 1987.

Under the leadership of director-general Stella Rimington, MI5 began to move out of the shadows. Surveillance work was subjected to the scrutiny of the Interception Commissioner under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6) began operations in October 1909 as a single organisation, the Secret Service Bureau, staffed initially by only two officers: the 50-year-old Royal Navy Commander Mansfield Cumming and an Army captain fourteen years his junior, Vernon Kell. Cumming and Kell later parted company to become the first heads of, respectively, the future SIS and MI5.

MI5's role today is to protect the UK from terrorism, espionage, sabotage and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. MI5 investigates suspect individuals and organisations to obtain, collate, analyse and assess secret intelligence relating to these threats. It also acts to counter the sources of threats and advise the Government and critical national infrastructure on the threat level and protective security measures, in order to help them reduce their vulnerability.It is currently headed by Director General Andrew Parker.

Unfortunately those looking to be the next spy chief can give the application a miss. There are 'limited promotion opportunities' and the agency is 'looking to recruit career mobile surveillance officers'.

And hopes that you will be dashing around the capital in Aston Martins have also been dashed. One of the key requirements is the ability to be comfortable 'sitting for substantial periods of time', enduring 'long spells of inactivity'.

Then when you start your super-sleuth work, do not expect to be knocking back too many martinis - shaken or stirred. The the annual salary of £27,539, rising to £31,138 after an intense 70-day training period, won't go far on London's cocktail scene.

Deadline for applications is 11pm on February 16. To play the games go to www.mi5.gov.uk/careers.

But Ssshhhh! Don't go telling anybody - it's a secret!