A Kent MP told a jury he had a "father and son" relationship with his aide, who is accused of raping a woman after drinking in bars in the Houses of Parliament.

South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay said his chief of staff Samuel Armstrong, 24, was "at the top of the tree in the Westminster office".

Armstrong has been accused of having "a sense of entitlement" when he forced himself on the woman in her 20s after a night of drinking in the Palace of Westminster.

The pair had been drinking in Sports and Social Bar and then the Office of the Leader of the House of Lords last October.

He is then accused of going back to the office of his boss where he raped her on a sofa.

After the encounter in the early hours of October 14 the woman was found wandering the corridors of Westminster by cleaners in a distressed state.

Today Mr Mackinlay, who beat Ukip leader Nigel Farage by more than 2,000 votes in the 2015 general election and was re-elected in this year's June general election, gave evidence.

The MP told jurors he never saw his aide behaving inappropriately towards women either in the office or while socialising.

Armstrong began working for him full time last April, having previously worked for the 51-year-old politician on a part-time basis while he was at university, jurors heard.

Mr Mackinlay said: "He was recommended to me by various people in the party and he had done various work for the party.

"Sam was at the top of the tree in the Westminster office and had the title of chief of staff, which is a varied name meaning lots of things.

"You can't put your finger on the roles that had to be done, it was a mix and varied, and he was very dedicated at it."

In cross examination he added: "He was very driven in politics, he works long hours.

"More dedicated than other staff that might see it as a job. He was in different league in terms of reliability."

When asked by Sarah Forshaw QC, for the defence if Armstrong "hero worshipped" him, the MP said: "I don't know about that."

Mr Mackinlay added Armstrong would not "bask in his own status" around the office.

The court also heard Mr Mackinlay would tease Armstrong about his lack of social life because of his long working hours.

He said: "Given the age difference it became a bit father and son I suppose."

He added he never saw Armstrong act inappropriately with staff or others at work or in social gatherings.

MS Forshaw QC asked about his wife and how she liked Armstrong, and had said "she was going to get one of her nieces to marry him because he was too nice a young man to be single".

"He was very driven in politics, he works long hours. More dedicated than other staff that might see it as a job. He was in different league in terms of reliability" - Craig Mackinlay MP

The MP agreed his wife did like Armstrong and the three of them would even go out for a meal together when he was working in the Kent constituency.

The court also heard from former special adviser to the leader of the House of Lords and defence secretary Richard Holden, who had been drinking with Armstrong and the alleged victim in the Sports and Social Bar.

He said he had known Armstrong for three or four years, and described him as "introverted, rather than socially awkward" and he was "charming and funny".

Mr Holden also said he had never seen Armstrong act inappropriately towards women, and described him as "mild mannered".

Asked how Armstrong and the alleged victim seemed during the night, he said: "They were slightly tipsy, but they didn't come across that they were drunk, no.

"They spent the best part of an hour-and-a-half together. They were friendly and relaxed in each other's company.

"I wasn't particularly paying attention but they were friendly and chatty, sitting together quite close in the bar."

Later Mr Holden, along with the victim, Armstrong and another woman, went to drink wine at the Leaders Office in the House of Lords.

He added: "They were laughing and joking with each other, they were sitting next to each other and they were chatty."

The court heard there were bottles of wine in the Lord's offices and he said it was possible the alleged victim may have taken one and put it her bag.

Describing the last time he saw the two of them, he said: "The were laughing and joking together and they seemed very relaxed together."

He also said there was no indication that the victim wanted to leave parliament and go home.

Yesterday, Southwark Crown Court heard a recording of a phone call made by one of the cleaners who found the alleged victim to the Met Police Parliamentary Protection Group office, shortly after 2am.

During the call, the phone is passed to the clearly distressed victim who is heard sobbing and crying down the phone as she tries to give her location in the Palace of Westminster.

She said: "Hello? I have been forced upon."

She goes on to say: "Ive just been forced upon. I just had sex and I really really didn't want to.

"I don't know where I am."

The jury heard the duty police officer on the other end of the line trying to direct the alleged victim and cleaners to the Members Entrance.

At one point the officer asks if she knew the person who did it, to which she says, "Sam Armstrong", and she gave the location of the alleged attack.

The short call ends as the group finds another police officer near Portcullis House.

The court were also taken through CCTV from the night of the alleged rape, when Armstong and the complainant are seen walking through Westminster Hall and through other corridors towards Craig Mackinlay's office, shortly after midnight.

The jury were then shown footage from 2.05am onwards which shows the victim running through the corridors of Westminster desperately trying to find someone to help.

There was also footage from an external camera of Derby Gate at 2.08am showing Armstrong leaving the Parliamentary estate and other footage of him walking around the streets near Westminster.

Armstrong, of Danbury, Essex, denies two counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.

The trial continues.