Vladimir Putin has been told by the UK Independence Party to keep out of the Stoke by-election after usually pro-Russian Twitter accounts started to target the party and its leader Paul Nuttall.

The Russian President - who has been accused by the White House of trying to influence the US Presidential elections - was given the warning after dozens of Twitter accounts, which are usually the source of pro-Russian messages, started publishing critical tweets about Ukip ahead of tomorrow’s Stoke on Trent Central by-election.

The BBC reported how the Twitter accounts were publishing Russian propaganda until a few days ago and now had switched to pro-Labour – and pro-Jeremy Corbyn - and anti-Ukip comments.

Although a traditional Labour safe seat, Stoke-on-Trent voted 65 per cent in favour of leaving the EU in last year’s referendum, making the constituency – which was vacated by Labour MP Tristram Hunt – a marginal.

Last month US intelligence agencies accused Russia of launching an "influence campaign" to damage Mrs Clinton and hack computers of the Democratic Party.

The report said Russia showed a "clear preference" for Mr Trump, the then president-elect, and carried out cyber attacks and issued propaganda both to boost his chances and to undermine confidence in American democracy.