Military laptop theft in McDonald's

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The computer was taken by an opportunist thief from under the army captain's chair.

The laptop contained no sensitive information and was fully encrypted and password protected, the MoD said.

Police have launched an investigation to try to find the computer.

The Sun reported the man was eating a Big Mac at a McDonald's near the Ministry of Defence on Whitehall when the £1,000 laptop was taken on April 1.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The laptop contained no sensitive information and was encrypted with password protection.

"Police are still investigating the theft."

The theft came after a Government tightening of rules on employees taking their computers out of work.

Whitehall staff are now banned from taking unencrypted laptops or drives containing personal data outside secured office premises.

The moves to prevent further data loss came after a laptop containing the personal details of 600,000 military recruits was stolen from a car in January. It also emerged about 600 MoD laptops and PCs had been stolen since 1998.