A Kent MP has vehemently denied his family benefited from the government's controversial £14million Brexit ferry deal.

Last week Tussell UK revealed the government had signed a contract worth £13.8million with Seaborne Freight to run extra ferries in the event of a no deal Brexit, despite the company having no boats.

Tussell UK is a data company founded by Gus Tugendhat, the cousin of Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat.

Mr Tugendhat faced criticism after posting a New Year's message on social media, with one user claiming his family had earned a slice of the £14 million contract.

Mr Tugendhat quickly shot down the claim, explaining his cousin's company exists to make such contracts public.

After facing further criticism online, the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee branded one Twitter user a "deceitful coward".

In the same tweet he wrote: "The EU stipulates all gov contracts must be published. They are. Tussell brings them together in one place. It’s a [data] source."

Seaborne Freight will receive no money up-front from the government, but hopes to have its Ramgate to Ostend service up and running by March 29, the day Britain leaves the European Union.