The Prime Minister is to launch a "fake news" rapid response unit to monitor social media and challenge false stories.

The team will be based in the Cabinet Office, according to Alex Aiken, the executive director of the Government Communication Service (GCS), the PR wing of the civil service.

In an interview with PR Week, Mr Aiken said the civil service needed to "build a rapid response social media capability to deal quickly with disinformation and reclaim a fact-based public debate".

Theresa May will authorise the creation of the unit according to The Times, which reported that insiders doubted whether Whitehall could operate quickly enough to disrupt social media rumours.

Social media users have expressed concern that the "fake news" unit would be used to comment on matters of legitimate political contention, which the civil service should retain neutrality over.


2017 quiz: Fake news or real news?

A Cabinet Office spokesperson told Sky News: "The Government is committed to tackling false information and the Government Communications Service plays a crucial role in this.

"Digital communications are constantly evolving and we are looking at ways to meet the challenging media landscape by harnessing the power of new technology for good."

Talk of the unit follows a Brexit minister hitting out at "fake news" after the Government was recently forced to clarify its stance on animal welfare laws.

By defeating a proposed amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, it had been claimed that Conservatives had voted to deny animals feel pain or emotions.

The Government argued animals are already classed as sentient beings in existing legislation, and that including a proposed clause in the EU Withdrawal Bill would lead to "legal uncertainty".