PUTIN'S MINIONS

Bulgarian trio convicted of spying for Russia from UK seaside resort

- TOM PETTIFOR

VLADIMIR Putin's campaign of espionage was planted in the heart of British society by three Bulgarian spies operating in a seaside resort.

Among the amusement arcades and ice-cream outlets, Vanya Gaberova, Katrin Ivanova and Tihomir Ivanchev used secret cameras - including one stuffed inside a toy minion from the film Despicable Me - recording devices and GPS trackers to snoop on Russian dissidents and anti-Kremlin journalists.

The two women also set honeytraps across Europe in a bid to snare their victims as part of a potentially deadly ring directed from Great Yarmouth.

They tried to lure investigative reporters with suggestive pictures and plotted to make a pornographic film for one of their targets to upload.

After beautician Gaberova, 30, lab assistant Ivanova, 33, and 39-year-old decorator Ivanchev were yesterday convicted of spying, police warned Putin probably has more secret cells doing his dirty work in the UK.

Scotland Yard commander Dominic Murphy said the Moscow tyrant is using proxy agents for its "stream of covert activity and sabotage".

Speaking outside the Old Bailey, he added: "The reality is this won't be the only activity Russia is conducting here in the UK and we have seen other disruptions here in recent months.