The daughter of Vladimir Putin's spokesman is working as an intern for a French MEP in Brussels, it was revealed on Monday.

Elizaveta Peskova, daughter of Dmitry Peskov, is working as a trainee assistant to Aymeric Chauprade, a French MEP who used to be a member of the Front National, the far-right group led by Marine Le Pen.

As a registered assistant, Miss Peskova has full access to all European Parliament documents including sensitive papers on foreign and trade policy as well as the full range of draft legislation. The Parliament is well known for its lax security arrangements and only restricts access to a limited number of documents.

For the most sensitive documents, MEPs can view them only in a secure room and are banned from taking phones or other electronic devices with them. MEPs were allowed to see a draft trade agreement being negotiated with the US in 2015 in a secure room.

A source in the Parliament said that MEPs were “free to choose their trainees”, adding that it was normal for them to choose people from outside the EU to “spread the message about the Parliament's work”. The Parliament does not carry out security screening of assistants.