Boris Johnson claims bugging device found in his bathroom after Netanyahu visit

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Louise Thomas

Editor

A bugging device was found in Boris Johnson’s bathroom after a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu when he was foreign secretary, the former prime minister has claimed.

Mr Johnson alleged that his security team had made the discovery when they did a sweep of the toilets after the Israeli premier had used them during a meeting in 2017.

Writing in his memoir, “Unleashed”, the former Tory MP said Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his old office to use the washroom, described as “a secret annex… a bit like the gents in a posh London club.”

“Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox,” Mr Johnson said.

It is unclear whether the Israeli government was confronted about the incident.

The Israeli embassy in London has been contacted for comment.

Elsewhere in the book, Mr Johnson likened his chief adviser turned arch critic Dominic Cummings to a “homicidal robot” who worked to undermine him while he was in Number 10.

“I felt like the crew in Nostromo, the spaceship in Alien, when they discover that their colleague Ash is a homicidal robot – on a completely different mission,” he said.

Mr Johnson will be questioned about the revelations in his memoir during an appearance on ITV set to air on Friday evening.

It comes after the BBC was forced to cancel an interview with him after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.

The interview, due to be broadcast on BBC One from 7.30pm, will now be replaced by an episode of soap opera EastEnders.

On Friday an episode of Garden Rescue will air on the channel at 7.30pm, when the interview was due to be repeated.

In a post to social media site X on Wednesday, Ms Kuenssberg said: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.

“That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead. It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked.

“But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”