THE former editor-in-chief of the Telegraph made a personal attack on likely Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson at the Chalke Valley History Festival.

Having delivered a lecture on his recently published book The Secret War: Spies, Codes and Guerrillas 1939-1945, Sir Max Hastings compared the leading voice in the Brexit campaign with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

He was asked if he “thought those of developed years who asked for their country back by voting to leave (the EU) will be thanked by those of fewer years for having to live in it?”

Sir Max said: “I don’t think we should allow this to be hijacked by this debate but one thing I will say.

"I have known Boris Johnson for 30 years – he’s a brilliant journalist and a superlative entertainer but if we make a man with many of the qualities of Berlusconi, but probably less trustworthy, our Prime Minister then it will make a statement about what sort of Britain we want to be – that seems terrifying to me.”