Damian Collins says Britain needs its own version of Robert Mueller, the US investigator looking into Kremlin interference in America TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE

Britain needs a criminal inquiry like the Mueller investigation in the United States to establish the extent of Russian efforts to meddle in democracy in this country, a Tory MP has said.

Only a police investigation with the power to seize documents could get to the bottom of any Kremlin plot to sway the EU referendum and ensure that future elections were protected from attack, Damian Collins said.

Last week a parliamentary inquiry into fake news led by Mr Collins, chairman of the digital, culture, media and sport committee, said that Russian disinformation campaigns were an active threat to democracy, and highlighted links between Moscow and Arron Banks, the founder of Leave.EU.

Russia’s attempts to interfere with the 2016 US presidential election are being investigated…