North Yorkshire Police accused over a major security failing over Rishi Sunak's home

Both North Yorkshire Police and the force’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner refused to comment following suggestions of a lapse in the security surrounding the Prime Minister’s home in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

The force said yesterday that it was “managing the situation” after being alerted to the climate activists climbing onto the roof of the property around 8am, and that five people were later arrested.

Mr Sunak, his wife and children are currently on holiday in California.

While a branch of Metropolitan Police is responsible for the safety of the Prime Minister, such as with close-protection officers, it is understood that local police are expected to be involved in his absence.

Last night fellow Yorkshire Tory MPs called for a review into the security arrangements surrounding the Prime Minister and his home, after a “serious failing” that allowed protesters to unfurl black banners in opposition to the Government’s stance on new oil and gas licences.

Jason McCartney, the Conservative MP for Colne Valley, said: "Targeting MPs’ family homes is totally unacceptable and I hope Greenpeace and MPs of all parties will condemn this.

“It’s right that politicians are scrutinised and held to account but their family homes should not be under assault.

“There needs to be an urgent review of how protestors got access to the PM’s house.”

Alex Stafford, who represents Rother Valley, said: "I think this is a serious failing of security. Again and again MPs have been attacked.

“There needs to be better security to stop any more incidents like what happened to Jo Cox or Sir David Amess."

It comes the same day as the Cabinet Office revealed a list of risks facing the UK which cited the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in its assessment of the assassination of a public figure, for which it says there is a likelihood of more than 25 per cent.

The register measures likelihood on a scale of one to five with above 25% the highest score, but says this is because “all risks” considered “are relatively low likelihood events”.

Former North Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief COnstable, Peter Walker, said that he was “astonished” at the “major breach of security”.

He told LBC: "They have done a protest and don’t appear to have caused any damage but, if free access is being granted to that property, people who wanted to do much more serious things would be able to leave devices, booby traps. I think this is a major failing and it grieves me to say it because it’s my old police force that’s failed.

"I suspect that what has happened is that people have not done their job - in an operational sense - who are much closer to the action.

"But there really does need to be a significant investigation into how this has been allowed to happen."

It comes after North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoë Metcalfe came under pressure to resign following claims she had failed in her duty to hold the force’s leadership to account.

The Home Office said that its security measures for the protection of the Prime Minister were rigorous and proportionate, but could not comment on anything that could compromise those arrangements.