Charges dropped against two men accused of spying for China

Prosecutors have dropped charges against two men, including a former parliamentary researcher, who had been accused of spying for China.

Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, had previously denied the charges under the Official Secrets Act. Beijing has called the allegations “malicious slander”.

The two men were accused of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between 28 December 2021 and 3 February 2023.

The pair were due to stand trial at the Woolwich Crown Court from 6 October.

Prosecutor Tom Little told the Old Bailey on Monday that his team would offer no evidence against the men and that “we simply cannot continue to prosecute this case”.

Mr Berry, a teacher from Witney in Oxfordshire, and Mr Cash, of Whitechapel in London, were arrested in March 2023 as part of an investigation that involved counter-terror police.

They were accused of collecting information which was “calculated to be, might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy”.

It had been reported that Mr Cash was involved with Parliament’s China Research Group (CRG).

He was understood to have had access to several Conservative MPs, reportedly including former security minister Tom Tugendhat and then-foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns.

The government has previously said Chinese spies were targeting UK officials across the political, defence and business sectors as part of an increasingly sophisticated espionage operation.

Defending Mr Cash, James Mulholland KC said his client’s colleagues at the CRG had “expressed disbelief” at his arrest.

“We only hope that he will be able to rebuild his life,” he added.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she was “quite satisfied” and entered the two men into not guilty verdicts.