'Spooks' triggers MI5 recruitment surge

The BBC's espionage drama Spooks is reportedly helping to increase interest in working for security service MI5.

According to The Daily Mail, the number of visits to the MI5 website triples from an average of 500 to 1,500 during the Monday night slot when Spooks is on BBC One.

While the programme is on-air, seven of the top ten phrases used in search engines to find the site are related to jobs, including 'MI5 careers', 'MI5 jobs', and 'How to join MI5'.

However, the Service is understood to be concerned that the violent and bloody storylines in Spooks could deter female candidates from joining.

MI5 has launched a recruitment drive specifically aimed at attracting more female intelligence officers, as 59% of its employees are currently male.

A senior Whitehall source said: "Spooks is a great TV show, but the violence can put women off applying for jobs at MI5.

"A career in the Service is about brain, not brawn - carefully piecing together vital intelligence to protect the UK and its people."

Spooks, which is one of the BBC's longest-running dramas, reaches the climax of series nine tonight with the hunt for renegade operative Lucas North.