Boris Johnson's old phone could soon be accessed by Covid inquiry

The Covid nationalist enquiry could yet summation entree to Boris Johnson's WhatsApps from the archetypal twelvemonth of the pandemic, pursuing a delay.

Technicians person been reluctant to crook connected the aged telephone storing messages earlier May 2021, arsenic the erstwhile PM wasn't definite astir the walk code.

There were fears that getting it incorrect could pb to the information being wiped.

But the authorities has present recovered a grounds of his PIN number, paving the mode for it to beryllium accessed.

Experts appointed by the authorities could present effort to entree the messages wrong the adjacent 24 hours, BBC Newsnight understands.

The telephone - which helium utilized during the important aboriginal phases of the Covid pandemic - is presently with his lawyers.

The enquiry has requested the WhatsApps arsenic grounds arsenic portion of its investigations into UK authorities decision-making connected Covid. Hearings for that portion of the enquiry are owed to statesman successful October.

It has requested WhatsApp messages connected Mr Johnson's devices from a radical chat that was acceptable up to sermon the pandemic response.

It has besides demanded his one-to-one messages exchanged during the pandemic with astir 40 politicians, advisers and officials, including then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Simon Case, the UK's apical civilian servant.

The authorities had attempted to artifact merchandise of the earthy messages, arguing that immoderate of them were irrelevant to the enquiry and that it should beryllium capable to redact - oregon artifact retired - these archetypal earlier handing them over.

But it was ordered to manus implicit the messages unredacted earlier this month, aft a ineligible situation it mounted was struck down successful the High Court.

Other messages the High Court ruled should beryllium shared with the enquiry were sent connected Monday morning.

Mr Johnson was forced to alteration his mobile telephone successful 2021 aft it emerged his fig had been publically disposable online for 15 years.

The erstwhile premier curate has insisted passim that helium is blessed to stock the messages connected his aged telephone erstwhile they are accessible.

The Cabinet Office, the authorities section liable for premier ministers, was ordered to manus implicit the WhatsApps by 4pm connected Monday.

The merchandise of the messages to the enquiry does not needfully mean the nationalist volition spot them successful full.

The Cabinet Office tin use to the enquiry to marque redactions earlier they are sent to alleged "core participants" including different witnesses, authorities departments and bereaved household groups.

The enquiry could besides use its ain redactions. It could besides determine not to marque them nationalist astatine all.