Prostitute in Max Mosley 'Nazi' dungeon orgy was wife of MI5 officer

The wife of an MI5 agent was one of the five prostitutes who took part in a 'Nazi- style' orgy with motor racing chief Max Mosley, it emerged yesterday.

It left MI5 facing questions last night over whether one of its officers had helped set up the sting which saw a lurid five-hour video of the sado-masochistic sex session sold to a newspaper.

The agent was forced to resign when the activities of his 38-year-old wife - who used the name Mistress Abi - were revealed.

Security sources dismissed any suggestion that the surveillance officer was involved in the secret filming in a 'torture dungeon' at a £2million flat in Chelsea and insisted he was unaware of it until after the story appeared in the newspapers.

But sources close to Mosley, the 68-yearold son of Sir Oswald Mosley, the wartime British fascist leader, said they wondered if the agent "might have been doing a bit of freelance work on the side".

The officer, who cannot be named for security reasons, is in his 40s and had several years of experience. He had served in the military and had responsibility for watching Al Qaeda suspects, Russian spies and crime bosses.

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary were informed by Jonathan Evans, the director general of MI5, that one of his agents was caught up in the affair.

He gave them a categorical assurance MI5 was not involved in an operation to entrap Mosley, who is not considered a security threat.

The spy's wife is believed to have engineered the tabloid sting after realising that Mosley, a regular client, had booked five prostitutes for a sex session.

Mosley was accused of spending £2,500 on prostitutes for the orgy. The women were said to be wearing striped uniforms - similar to those worn at Auschwitz - or Nazi uniforms.

One was allegedly whipped with a leather strap by Mosley while he counted each blow in German.

According to the News of the World, Mistress Abi wore a Luftwaffe uniform during the session and was described as a bisexual dominatrix.

Mosley denies the orgy had a Nazi theme, and is suing the News of the World.

The multi-millionaire, who has been married since 1960, has defended his right to an "eccentric" sex life and has not denied taking part in the romp.

But he has accused the News of the World of a "cold-blooded lie", saying: "The Nazi aspect is completely untrue."

Last night the suggestion that MI5 may have been involved was dismissed as "utter nonsense" in Whitehall.

Security sources confirmed an officer had been dismissed but vehemently denied he may have used his expertise, his access to classified information or even MI5 equipment to take part in the operation against Mosley.

An investigation has so far turned up no links between the officer and the newspaper operation.

The service is carrying out further inquiries to work out whether he divulged any secret information that his wife may have used in her work.

Sources suggested he knew his wife was a prostitute but had not known she was taking-part in the sting. He had to resign after admitting he had failed to disclose his wife's activities to his bosses.

One said: "It appears he knew what his wife was about, but didn't know it had led her to get involved with Max Mosley.

"This was his wife's activities coming home to roost."

A relationship with a prostitute would be an immediate bar to employment in the security services because it would raise concerns about individual judgment and vulnerability to blackmail.

Mr Evans has ordered a review of vetting procedures to establish why the officer was able to keep his wife's secret hidden.

A Whitehall source said: "The service does expect the highest standards of behaviour from staff at all times, both professionally and privately. We take this very seriously."

Mosley faces a vote of confidence over his job as president of the FIA, the motor racing governing body, in Paris on June 3.

He would not comment yesterday but he is reported to have said of the link to MI5: "This is an astonishing piece of information, which I will pass on to my legal advisers."