For decades it has remained synonymous with that well trodden pathway - a tap on the shoulder which would happen at Eton, Oxbridge or government. That revered tap, so they say, would then propel the chosen candidate into a life shrouded in secrecy, mystery and glamour.

Yet now spy bosses have managed to eschew stereotypes in a bid to attract new hires.

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), otherwise known as MI6, has joined the ranks of the top 75 UK employers who have taken the most action on social mobility in a bid to recruit working class spies.

The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF), a charity which aims to make practical improvements for young people from low-income backgrounds, has compiled data on banks, engineering and law firms, government department and retailers.

The charity launched its annual Social Mobility Employer Foundation Index three years ago, however 2019 marks the first time that one of Britain’s intelligence agencies has entered the list.

According to the rankings, MI6 features at number 73, ahead of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Barclays bank.