The beleaguered Ashford MP Damian Green has said he is "overwhelmed" by the support he has received following his shock resignation from the government.

The MP was forced to stand down from his job as the de facto deputy Prime Minister after a cabinet inquiry concluded that he had given misleading statements regarding allegations about pornographic material found on an office computer.

Today he tweeted that he had been sent supportive messages from colleagues on all sides of the House.

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He has also received the backing of his local Conservative Association after his shock resignation last night.

Constituency officials have given the MP their support after he was effectively forced out of his job as 'de facto' deputy Prime Minister.

Neil Bell, the vice chairman of the Ashford Conservative Association, said: “I am very sorry about what has happened and it has been very tough on him.

"I have known him for 20 years and he has been nothing but a brilliant constituency MP and I am hugely disappointed at what has happened.

"He has always served the constituency well and I'm sure will continue to do so.”

He added there was no plan for the association to ask Mr Green for an account of what happened.

The Ashford MP was forced out of his job following a cabinet inquiry which concluded that he had made misleading and inaccurate statements concerning allegations about pornographic material found on one of his office computers during a leak inquiry in 2008.

He was asked to quit after the inquiry concluded he had made "inaccurate and misleading" statements about what he knew.

Mr Green apologised for that and accepted that he had been in breach of the ministerial code.

The inquiry was launched after a female journalist Kate Maltby claimed in an article that the MP had behaved inappropriately.

The investigation was unable to come to a definitive conclusion about the allegation, but described the journalist’s account as plausible.

In her letter accepting Mr Green’s resignation the Prime Minister Theresa May said she did so with great regret.

The pair have been close friends as well as political allies since being students together at Oxford.

North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale said that Mr Green had paid a terrible price for something that was out of character.

“He made an error of judgement that was out of character and has paid a terrible price.

"The fact of the matter is that he is a thoroughly decent guy and a nice man who is well-liked across the House."

He said there was no question of him being deselected but said it was unlikely that he would return to government.

Gerry Clarkson the Conservative leader of Ashford Borough Council said: “I have known Damian Green for 20 years or more and have found him to be a person of great dignity and integrity.

"I am very sad that he has had to go as deputy prime minister. He has always been a great supporter of the council and what we are trying to do.”

However he would not be drawn on the allegations that led to Mr Green’s shock resignation.

“It is not for me to make any judgement on that,” he said.

He also rejected suggestions that there may be moves to deselect Mr Green.

“I have heard nobody mention that - he is a first class constituency MP and there is no question of deselection.”