A former employee has come to the defence of North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale, after he was accused of making sexist comments.

The politician unwittingly found himself at the centre of a media storm after referring to the women working in his office as "girls".

The comments were made during a BBC Radio 4 programme this morning as Sir Roger defended hiring family members ahead of a crackdown on the practice among MPs.

His wife Suzy has worked in his office since 1983.

But it wasn't long before the comments, described as "sexist" and "pompous" by some, began to trend on Twitter

One angry listener said she was infuriated at what she had heard while another described how her throat was sore from yelling at the radio.

Another said it was an example that everyday sexism was alive and kicking in Thanet.

But now former employee Jen Edwards, and self-styled feminist, has hit back on Twitter. She said: "I worked for Roger for the best part of seven years in the Association office.

"I can tell you now that man is anything but sexist. He's a kind man that does nothing but encourage you. He inspired me in many ways to push forward, especially as a young female in politics.

"He always called us the girls purely because we were a close knit team. He also called us 'the gang' or 'the cogs' in the office, amongst many other nicknames. Flyaway comment maybe, but never meant as anything more, let alone anti-women."