Boris Johnson has sent messages to Conservative MPs warning them to "calm down and get behind the Prime Minister," ITV News has learnt.

In a message sent to a group of MPs via WhatsApp he praised Theresa May as a "woman of extraordinary qualities".

He added "frankly the public are looking to us to get behind her with discipline and determination".

Mr Johnson has been seen as a likely contender to replace Mrs May if she steps down in the near future, with some suggesting that he may already be making preparatory moves for a leadership bid.

The messages, seen by ITV News Political Correspondent Dan Hewitt, suggest that he is instead shoring up her support behind the scenes - at least for now.