BORIS Johnson has confirmed the appointment of Richard Moore as the next chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.

MI6's new "C" is the Foreign Secretary’s choice and he has now been backed by the Prime Minister.

Moore is currently the Foreign Office's political director and will take over in the autumn.

He will succeed Sir Alex Younger, who has led the UK's foreign intelligence service for almost six years.

Moore has previously held director roles in MI6 and has been deputy national security adviser in the Cabinet Office.

He was appointed by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, with the Prime Minister now rubber stamping the move.

Raab said of the new chief: "He returns to SIS with tremendous experience and will oversee the work of a group of men and women whose tireless efforts are rarely seen in public, but which are critical for the security and prosperity of the UK."

The father-of-two was born in Libya and speaks fluent Turkish.