MI5 whistleblower David Shayler had a surprise meeting with an old boy from his school when he was arrested by him.

MI5 whistleblower David Shayler had a surprise meeting with an old boy from his school when he was arrested by him.

The old boys network proved to be a little more tight-knit than expected when the renegade MI5 officer bumped into Chief Inspector Jon Morgan of the Metropolitan Police.

Both are former pupils of the John Hampden School, in High Wycombe, and were given the opportunity to catch up on old times over a cup of tea at Charing Cross Police Station.

The chance in a million meeting only came to light after Chief Insp Morgan sent a letter to current headteacher Stephen Nokes, on Metropolitan Police headed paper, with the caption 'Old boys meet in unusual circumstances'.

Shayler, 34, had arrived in Dover on August 21, flanked by a media entourage as he was taken to the station in London and charged with two offences under the Official Secrets Act and then bailed. His parents live in Beaconsfield.

He said: 'The whole thing is a bit of a joke really and it was nice to see an old face.

'The police were very pleasant to me and I had to keep pinching myself to realise that I was under arrest.

'I was taken there in an un-marked car with plain clothed officers and there I was chatting with an old boy about the teachers we had at school.'

Shayler now faces three charges under the Official Secrets Act.