The retired official was interrupted by protestors as he spoke at New College Oxford last week.

The Telegraph reports the group, called WeAreTheIntruders, were posing as Goldman Sachs and Vodafone employees and presented him with the award, otherwise known as the “Golden Handshake”.

The protest comes after HMRC was cleared of agreeing to so-called “sweetheart deals” with large businesses over tax bills. A report by the National Audit Office in June did however recommend it clean up its processes to avoid suspicion, the report said.

The black tie wearing protestors posted the stunt to YouTube.