The Security Service wants to recruit more gay staff in a change of attitude towards homosexuals.

The Financial Times reports the UK security service has teamed up with gay lobby group Stonewall to encourage its spies to be more open about their sexuality.

It also hopes the partnership will attract more gay applicants for its posts in a change of stance by MI5. Gay men and women were barred from working in sensitive posts in the diplomatic or security services until the early 1990s as it was thought gay spies would be vulnerable to blackmail and gay ambassadors might generate tension between the UK and countries that criminalise homosexuality.

The FT states MI5 director-general Jonathan Evans has sanctioned a policy of targeting the gay community, while Stonewall will include the secret service in its gay-friendly employer guide this year.

The FT adds Stonewall's chief executive, Ben Summerskill, said MI5 faced the same dilemma as other employers who need high calibre employees to be effective, but who have traditionally recruited from a relatively narrow base.

Richard Chapman, Head of Diversity Milkround, said: "MI5 worked with Diversity Milkround in 2006 to reach diverse talent pools, including LGBT candidates. We are pleased to see that old, dysfunctional and defunct attitudes are being repealed, which will attract diversity minded and discerning candidates of whom 83% actively vet employers based on their inclusive policies."