REUTERS

The recently departed White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has been accused of stealing a mini-fridge from junior staff following his sudden resignation.

The 45-year-old set his sights on an ice box used by researchers less than a month after he assumed office in Donald Trump's administration in January, it is claimed.

He sent an aide to commandeer the cooler so he had somewhere to keep his food and drink at an optimum temperature, it is said.

But the junior staff, who according to theWall Street Journal (WSJ) were “crammed into a room, surviving on Lean Cuisine frozen lunches”, were apparently unwilling to let their refrigerator go when the aide told them: "Mr Spicer wants your icebox."

After hearing that his subordinates had held on to the coveted chiller, Mr Spicer, a former Navy Commander, allegedly took matters into his own hands.

A White House official spotted him dragging it down the presidential driveway at 8pm after all the researchers had gone home, according to the WSJ.

The revelation sparked ridicule on social media.

Ian Crouch, a writer for The New Yorker, tweeted: "It all makes sense now. Spicer was afraid to quit for so long bc he knew the mini-fridge story would get out."

Writer Ivan Hernandez added: "I will pay a million dollars for footage of Sean spicer kidnapping a mini-fridge under cover of darkness."

The claims emerged after Mr Spicer announced he was stepping down following a tumultuous six months with the Trump administration.

He became a national target of ridicule and was mocked by Saturday Night Live with a recurring character portraying him.

Mr Spicer regularly clashed with journalists during his White House press briefings, and claimed that some reporters were asking "snarky" questions to become "YouTube stars".

He is believed to have resigned after objecting to the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as the new White House Communications Director.

Mr Scaramucci, who founded an investment firm and is a noted Republican donor and fundraiser, frequently appeared on television to defend Mr Trump when he was a candidate.