Intel recruitment

Spy chiefs' Mumsnet mission to recruit Jane Bonds

British intelligence agencies no longer insist new recruits have a university degree and favour "emotional intelligence" instead as part of a plan to recruit more middle-aged Mums, it has emerged.

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ have all used Mumsnet to find new female spies, dubbed Jane Bonds, while some agencies are targeting older women working in social care who may be bored with their careers.

It marks the first time the intelligence agencies have admitted to using female-friendly websites to recruit more women, as it emerged local newspapers are also being targeted by spy agencies to get a better balance of staff from both genders.

A new report on plans to rebalance the intelligence workforce states that the security services are looking for women with "high emotional intelligence, rather than focusing on standard qualifications" and are keen to demonstrate the family-friendly nature of working as a spy.