A SENIOR minister blundered yesterday when he accidentally revealed secret Government papers on Afghanistan.
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell was pictured holding the document as he left Downing Street.
He had been at a meeting of the National Security Council, chaired by PM David Cameron.
The papers welcomed Afghan president Hamid Karzai's announcement that he will stand down in 2014, stating: "This is very important. It improves Afghanistan's political prospects very significantly. We should welcome Karzai's announcement in private and in public."
The document adds: "Afghan perceptions of violence are very important for their confidence in their future, and for their readiness to work for the Afghan government.
"Have we got the strategic communications on levels of violence right?"
A spokesman for the Department for International Development said the papers were "of a routine nature". He added: "They would have had a national security level marking of 'restricted' or 'confidential' if they contained anything of significant sensitivity."
Mr Mitchell is not the first prominent figure to accidentally show secret information. In 2009, Bob Quick was forced to stand down as Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer after he revealed details of an operation to foil an al-Qaeda plot.
He was pictured carrying the documents to a meeting at Downing Street. Police were forced to bring forward a series of raids following the gaffe.
The year before, then housing minister Caroline Flint was pictured entering Number 10 with a briefing paper predicting property prices were set to plunge.
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