White House Breach 'Will Never Happen Again'

                     

The director of the US Secret Service has said last month's White House breach was "unacceptable" and "will never happen again".

Julia Pierson told a House committee that the agency's security plan "was not executed properly" on 19 September, when a knife-wielding man ran into the executive mansion.

Newly released details revealed that Omar Gonzales penetrated farther into the White House than previously disclosed, running through nearly half of the main floor.

Gonzalez was arrested two months ago by state troopers

The new account was in stark contrast with the original Secret Service statement that Gonzales was "physically apprehended after entering the White House North Portico doors".

On Tuesday, Ms Pierson said: "It is clear that our security plan was not executed properly.

"I take full responsibility. What happened is unacceptable and it will never happen again."

The Secret Service chief was facing tough questions on Tuesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the breach.

Critics have questioned the amount of time it took agents to detain Gonzalez after he jumped a fence and sprinted across the vast White House lawn before entering the mansion.

Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, grilled Ms Pierson on why agents did not use more force, including shooting the intruder.

Mr Chaffetz, who leads the House Oversight subcommittee that oversees the Secret Service, indicated on Tuesday that he would be in favour of a security plan that called for shooting intruders "on sight".

Ms Pierson said that all decisions and actions made by agents on that day are being reviewed. She also said that she ordered extra security measures around the White House immediately after the breach.