A member of the House of Lords has called for stricter measures against China after receiving a scam text he suspects was sent by Beijing spies.

Lord Mann alerted Parliamentary authorities following a job offer from a fraudulent recruiter on Tuesday.

John Mann, a senior Labour backbencher, smiling while walking outdoors.Lord Mann asserts that the Government must take a strong stance against China, claiming they are openly targeting UK politicians.Credit: PA:Press Association

On the same day, he warned that Chinese spies are persistently targeting British politicians, including through fake job advertisements.

Lord Mann, a former MP and now an independent adviser to the Government on antisemitism, told The Sun on Sunday: “This situation is highly suspicious.

“China has a significant operation underway and they are quite blatant about their actions.

“How extensive does this go?

“We have observed that China has infiltrated MPs' offices. We need to exercise extreme caution.

“If China continues these activities, then we must take decisive action. We cannot permit a foreign state to spy on us and attempt to entrap our parliamentarians.

“We need to confront them directly.”

There are significant threats to the UK.

These include £170 million allocated to enhance encrypted communications for government business.

Mr. Jarvis informed MPs: “Our intelligence agencies have cautioned that China is attempting to recruit and cultivate individuals with access to sensitive information regarding the UK and its government.”