Theresa May's new ambassador to the European Union is a "hard-headed" Diplomat who has faced down Vladimir Putin and is ideally placed to "hit the ground running" in Brussels, ministers have said.

Sir Tim Barrow has been appointed as Britain's new EU ambassador after a life-long career in the foreign office which has seen him serve in senior roles twice before in Brussels.

He also served as Britain's ambassador to Moscow between 2011 and 2015, one of the most testing periods in relations between the two countries.