Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages have been recovered from his old phone, a spokesman for the former prime minister has confirmed. Mr Johnson will now hand them over unredacted to the Covid Inquiry.

       “Boris Johnson is pleased that technical experts have now successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device,” said the spokesman. “As repeatedly stated, he will now deliver this material in unreacted form to the inquiry.

       “The inquiry process requires that a security check of this material is now made by the Cabinet Office. The timing of any further progress on delivery to the inquiry is therefore under the Cabinet Office’s control.

       “It was always the case that Boris Johnson would pass this material to the inquiry and do everything possible to help it be recovered. A careful process, approved by the inquiry, has been followed to ensure that this was successful.”

       Device used at key times in pandemic

       Mr Johnson was advised to stop using the phone and not access it again on security grounds while serving as prime minister in May 2021. It had emerged that his number had been freely available online for 15 years.

       The device he used during crucial periods of the pandemic should contain messages relating to the ordering of three lockdowns in 2020.

       An ally of Mr Johnson had conceded he did not have “100 per cent confidence” that he remembered the PIN, but the Government found a version.

       Ministers had battled to prevent the wholesale handing over of Mr Johnson’s notebooks, WhatsApp messages and diaries. But the inquiry took the case to the High Court, and the Government lost.