Bugging device 'discovered in Boris Johnson's bathroom' after Netanyahu visit

The former UK prime minister makes claim in his memoir

Boris Johnson greets Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 10 Downing Street in 2019. Getty Images

A bugging device was discovered in Boris Johnson’s bathroom after Benjamin Netanyahu used it during a meeting between them in 2017, the former prime minister claims in his memoir.

Writing in Unleashed, Mr Johnson said the Israeli Prime Minister excused himself to use the toilet, which he describes 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.

The talks took place while Johnson was foreign secretary. It is not known whether the Israeli government was confronted about the incident and its embassy in London has not responded to the claim.

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, who was prime minister from 2019 to 2022, 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.

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.”

Mr Johnson’s memoir will be published next week.