HUNDREDS of British buses have Chinese 'kill switch' which could stop them in their tracks

Concerns were first raised in Norway that Chinese Yutong electric buses could be “stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer” remotely by switching off the batteries.

The DfT and the NCSC confirmed they were “looking into” the case amid fears the buses could be used by Beijing as a means to meddle.

Onboard SIM cards give the buses an internet connection, allowing software updates.

Norway’s own investigation into the matter found it to be “technically impossible” for China to remotely shut down the vehicles.

Around 700 Yutong buses are in operation on Britain’s roads, with providers Stagecoach and First Bus two reliant parties, each owning more than 200.

Bus providers have grown increasingly reliant on them as a result of Labour’s push to cut down on carbon emissions produced by public transport.

Nottingham City Council confirmed last month that it has replaced its entire fleet of single-decker buses with Yutong models.

It will ramp up its bus fleet revamp by doing the same with all its double-deckers by the end of the year.

Given there is no concrete evidence of Chinese meddling, ministers are unable to block the sale of such buses.

Banning them without evidence of interference risks adding further strain to Britain’s diplomatic ties with Beijing.

A source familiar with the investigation told The Telegraph: “They haven’t found any evidence that it has actually happened.

“And there are wider considerations at play about how we deal with China, of which this is only a small part.”

Norway placed a security warning on the buses, but there are no plans in the UK to do the same.

Security experts working for the Government are said to be confident there is no chance of a China-instigated shutdown, and investigators are confident the kill switch has never been utilised.

Keir Starmer is expected to travel to China later this month, becoming the first Prime Minister to do so since 2018.

Sir Keir is under pressure from across the political spectrum to address the degree of Chinese influence over Britain’s national infrastructure, but the Prime Minister is said to be keen on working more closely with Beijing in a bid to attract foreign investment.

Plans for a Chinese ‘super-embassy’ in Tower Hamlets, London, look set to be approved after months of the decision being kicked into the long grass.

MPs such as Tory grandee Iain Duncan Smith have rallied against its construction, fearing it will give China access to data from nearby sensitive assets such as the capital’s financial district and several data centres.

Speaking to GB News in October, Mr Duncan Smith vowed to “turn up the heat” on the Prime Minister after the collapse of a major prosecution linked to Chinese espionage.

He accused the Government of “slimy and duplicitous” behaviour after prosecutors abandoned charges against two men accused of spying for Beijing.

The Prime Minister rejected responsibility for the case’s collapse, citing the previous Conservative Government’s China policy as the determining factor.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We take security extremely seriously and are working closely across Government and with the transport sector to understand this issue and mitigate potential risks.”