• The UK evacuated dozens of animals from Kabul after it fell to the Taliban last August.
• Downing Street at the time strongly denied the prime minister had any involvement.
• But an email leaked by a whistleblower show Johnson personally intervened to ensure the evacuation.
• Labour MP Chris Bryant said: "If somebody has lied, then they do need to resign."

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Boris Johnson personally authorised the evacuation of 170 cats and dogs from Afghanistan last August, internal government emails say — contradicting Downing Street's previous denials that the prime minister was involved in the effort.

One email sent by a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office official on August 25, 2021, said Johnson had given permission for the evacuation. The animals had been housed in a rescue shelter in Afghanistan run by the former Marine Pen Farthing.

The email, which was sent to the FCDO's "special cases" desk for evacuations from Afghanistan, read: "Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine, has received a lot of publicity and the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated."

The evacuation of the animals had garnered heavy criticism at the time given the number of vulnerable Afghans desperate to leave their...

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