The former director of the FBI has been accused of issuing a death threat against Donald Trump after taking a picture of seashells on a beach.

James Comey, who led the FBI from 2013-2017, shared a photo on Instagram of seashells lined up on the sand to depict the numbers “8647”.

He captioned the post: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

However, the Secret Service is now investigating the matter after Trump allies interpreted the cryptic message as an incitement to violence against the president.