whats more concerning is the security was lax enough to let them in.

Even police vehicles are supposed to display a pass but it is common practice for many places to wave in such vehicles. Although youd expect the gate guards to recognise if it was a regular police vehicle, was being driven by uniformed coppers etc!!

If it was a local police force van then that would arouse suspision as its normally only MoD plod on base and they drive a limited selection of vehicles (and youd expect the gate guards to know what the local MoD coppers drive).

Used to be one of my pet hates when i did security inspections and probes was silly gate guards waving people in. Often base vehicles would get away with not displaying a pass and would just put the vehicles ring binder on the windscreen with the A4 bit of paper with reg number on it showing and often people would recognise it as a fleet vehicle and wave it in having been flashed some kind of ID card from 10 feet away!!!

I used to put it in reports all the time!! Used to annoy me as for an exercise all you would need is a white/blue LDV van and a blue ring binder with number on outside displayed in windscreen, and something that resembles an id card and youd be waved in at a distance quite easily at most bases.

Simple reconnaissance at a new base would tell you the vehicles used as fleet, how they display pass's etc and how the gate staff operate.

Makes me angry such lax procedures. All it needs is to stop every vehicle and check ID close to hand and make them show the proper car pass to stop this easy access. I remember when we got it implemented that every ID card had to be touched by the guard to check authenticity that after a while it worked well and people got used to it.

Better than getting blown up.