Website attacked over leak of US 'vital facilities' list

The website revealed a detailed list of installations worldwide including a number of sites in Britain such as satellite sites, BAE Systems plants and cable locations.

The latest leak lists hundreds of pipelines, undersea cables and factories, including a cobalt mine in Congo, an anti-snake venom factory in Australia and an insulin plant in Denmark.

The revelations are likely to prove hugely embarrassing to the US and come in the wake of a series of damaging exposes by the website.

A Downing Street spokesman said this morning: "We unequivocally condemn the unauthorised release of classified information.

"The leaks and their publication are damaging to national security in the United States, Britain and elsewhere.

"It is vital that governments are able to operate on the basis of confidentiality of information."

The leaks list three UK sites owned by BAE systems.

A spokeswoman for BAE said: "BAE Systems recognises its role as a custodian of key industrial and military assets.

"We would be concerned at any activity which compromises this."

Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, chairman of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, said no proper attempt had been made to find out whether the material could help anyone planning terror attacks.

He said: "This is further evidence that they have been generally irresponsible, bordering on criminal.

"This is the kind of information terrorists are interested in knowing."

Among the UK sites listed are a transatlantic undersea cable landing in Cornwall; naval and motoring engineering firm MacTaggart Scott, based in the small Scottish town of Loanhead; and BAE Systems sites in Preston and Chorley, both in Lancashire, and one in Plymouth.

It is understood that the BAE Systems sites in Chorley and Plymouth are no longer in operation.