Defence Force investigates documents e-mailed to teenager

WELLINGTON - The Defence Force is playing down the significance of New Zealand defence papers turning up in a British teenager's e-mail.

Claire McDonald, aged 15, of Devon, England, has been receiving e-mails for the past six months that she believes come from the Pentagon in the United States, according to One News.

They include a document on New Zealand defence strategy for 2000-2001 that, by coincidence, gives details of how this country handles its defence information.

Defence Force spokesman Warren Inkster said checks were being made on what information had been received by the teenager.

"But we do not believe any of the messages are classified," he said.

Australian Defence Minister John Moore, in Wellington yesterday, said his department would follow up reports that Australian information had been sent to Miss McDonald.

British, Canadian and US information was also being sent.

Miss McDonald said she had been receiving about 11 messages a week.

Her mother, Sharon, said the messages were frightening.

"It's like my husband said, have we got the phone bugged, are there going to be military men standing outside the front door or something?"

- NZPA