TONY Blair deployed "alarming subterfuge" to mislead the British people over the war in Iraq, one of his top law officers has said. Sir Ken Macdonald, who was director of public prosecutions at the time of the invasion, launched a devastating attack on the former prime minister, accusing him of acting like a "narcissist" as he tried to justify his actions.

Mr Blair had  exhibited "sycophancy" towards Washington in the run up to the war in March 2003, Sir Ken said.

His intervention came after Mr Blair, who is due to give evidence in the new year to the Chilcot inquiry, defended his actions in a weekend television interview with former This Morning host Fern Britton.