London, Sep 4 : Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s blundering bodyguard left a deadly loaded pistol in the toilet of a coffee shop, leaving customers and their children shocked.

The semi-automatic Glock 17 remained on the floor of the Starbucks café’s only toilet for nearly 20 minutes.

The bodyguard, a girl cop who is in the former PM’s close protection officer, left it there after spending a penny while on duty.

A horrified Starbucks employee eventually found it and called 999, The Sun reported.

Meanwhile the high-flying officer, in her 30s and wearing plain clothes, was searching frantically for the gun after realising her mistake. She spent nearly an hour trying to retrace her steps.

The pistol was eventually linked to her when cops compared its serial number to those logged at a police armoury.

Scotland Yard chiefs hit the roof. And the bodyguard, whose job is to protect Blair from al-Qaeda terrorists, has been “removed from operational duties”.

A senior police source said last night: “She knows she has messed up bad.”

The officer, attached to the Yard''s crack SO1 protection unit, was caught short while on Edgware Road, Central London -- near one of Blair’s homes.

She took off a belt holding the Glock while she relieved herself in the Starbucks toilet - used by men and women, boys and girls.

After leaving the loo the absent-minded cop stopped to buy a coffee and then walked out - completely forgetting she had left the gun behind.

Her SO1 unit - full name Specialist Protection Command - is responsible for the personal safety of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and ex-PMs Blair and Margaret Thatcher. (ANI)