Meghan Markle faced “very real” threats while living in the UK, and ex counter terror chief has claimed.

Neil Basu, who was the Met Police's Assistant Commissioner of Special Operations until last year said the Duchess of Sussex was the victim of “disgusting” threats while living in the UK.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, he was asked whether there had been many credible threats against Meghan’s life.

He said: "Absolutely, and if you'd seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it… the kind of rhetoric that's online, if you don't know what I know, you would feel under threat all of the time.

"We had teams investigating it. People have been prosecuted for those threats."

Mr Basu the outgoing assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police criticised home secretary Suella Braverman in his final interview before leaving Scotland Yard.

He said: "I find some of the commentary coming out of the Home Office inexplicable. It is unbelievable to hear a succession of very powerful politicians who look like this talking in language that my father would have remembered from the 1968. It's horrific."

He added: "I was born in 1968. The 'Rivers of Blood' speech happened in the constituency next to where my parents lived and made their life hell. A mixed-race couple walking through the streets in the 1960s. Stoned.

"I speak about race because I know something about race because I'm a 54-year-old mixed race man."