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Reopening the Brexit Russia row will delight Moscow’s propagandists seeking to rip Britain’s social fabric apart, the head of MI5 has warned.

Sir Ken McCallum, speaking after Prime Minister Andy Burnham retreated over claims the Kremlin successfully interfered in the referendum, said trolls did “attempt” to meddle in the historic vote.

But the intelligence chief declared it is “important to focus on the difference between what may have been attempted and what actually resulted.”

And he warned Moscow will be “delighted” the issue is dominating the agenda again.

Sir Ken revealed this is critical because Britain has entered a “new era of national security” where the “cohesion and confidence of our communities has become a national security front line”.

“Those who mean us harm are trying – often with a helping hand from polarising algorithms – to divide our communities and turn us against one another”, he warned.

Sir Ken confirmed Russian media organisations “came in pretty strongly around the time of the referendum”.

He told reporters: “There is a really important difference between interference attempted, and outcome swayed. It’s quite important to focus on the difference between what may have been attempted and what actually resulted.

“It is also a matter of open source record that there was a second line of interference attempted through trolls.

“I agree strongly with what the Prime Minister said yesterday.

“It is kind of up to us how far we allow our adversaries to divide us. I’m a little bit worried that if we all stay in this debate for another few days, the Russian trolls who didn’t appear to do all that much at various points over the years, they’ll be delighted they are front page news once again despite the comparative unimpressedness of what they do at all points along the journey.

“I’m a little bit interested that we don’t play into our adversaries’ hands by making these trolls look 10 feet tall. That is not our experience.”

Mr Burnham faced a furious backlash after reigniting Britain’s Brexit debate by claiming Britain’s historic decision to leave the EU was influenced by Moscow.

He told the Rest of Politics podcast: “I asked the question coming to Downing Street, well was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I’ve had the clear answer that, yes, there was.

“These things are important now to put clearly on the record and I believe help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely, Russia.”

Sir Ken warned Britain’s adversaries are trying to “manipulate how we feel”.

And they are “weaponising whatever frictions they notice” in societies.

He added: “Their trolls aren’t geniuses, by the way, they only get a foothold if we give them one.

“It is never my job to offer commentary on our nation’s politics. One of the founding reasons for MI5’s existence, enshrined in the Security Service Act, is to defend democracy, at the heart of which is free and open debate.

“But the threats we see show that the manner of that debate matters.

“Our adversaries want to abuse our very freedoms to polarise us. Our cohesion counts.”

Social media, the head of MI5 warned, is having a distorting impact on community tensions.

Sir Ken said: “In the era we’re now in, the cohesion and confidence of our communities has become a national security front line.

“Those who mean us harm are trying – often with a helping hand from polarising algorithms – to divide our communities and turn us against one another.

“The sharpest form this takes is lethal violence. We were all horrified by the murder of Ann Widdecombe in July.

“Sadly, the case is part of a concerning trend of violence targeted at political figures, religious or community groups and more.”

Sir Ken, in his annual threat update, warned Russia remains “aggressor number one”, motivated by hostility towards the West’s support for Ukraine.

And intelligence chiefs fear they will continue attempting to wreak havoc for years.

He said: “We are planning on the basis that these risks will endure. Some of these vulnerabilities are inherent on handling an open society in a connected era, AI isn’t going away, there isn’t a priority that that will be something that is going to go away by the end of next year.

“Irrespective of what happens in Ukraine, it is quite hard to see the Kremlin suddenly decide to rub along with us all after all.

“So we are planning that this is going to be a long-haul contest.

“My hope would be for a national resilience to be prepared to respond in a calm, keep-it-going, don’t allow our adversaries to throw us off too much or divide us one against the other, and I think that is probably some years ahead of us.

“I dearly hope that during the tenure of my successor, that this might have come off the boil a little bit, but we would be foolish to plan on that basis.”