May was asked about Trump's jibes, which emerged during the US election, on live TV today and said they were 'unacceptable'

Theresa May today risked re-opening a war of words with Donald Trump after declaring his 'grab 'em by the p****' jibe at women was 'unacceptable'.

The Prime Minister pointed out Mr Trump had apologised for the remarks but the intervention comes just hours after the President-elect said he was looking forward to the pair's first meeting in the spring.

Mrs May was asked about the remarks, which emerged in the final weeks of the US presidential election, in her first TV interview of the year.

The Government has scrambled to build ties with Mr Trump after his shock White House victory and Mrs May secretly sent her top aides to see his team before Christmas.

Theresa May, pictured on today's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, has risked re-opening a war of words with President-elect Donald Trump after saying his 'grab 'em by the p****' jib was 'unacceptable'

Sky News's Sophy Ridge asked the Premier to put aside her responsibilities as the nation's leader and reveal what she thought of Trump's remarks 'as a woman'.

A poker-faced Mrs May responded: 'I think that's unacceptable but I think Donald Trump himself has said that and has apologised for it.

'But the relationship the UK has with the United States is about something much bigger than the relationship between the two individuals as president and prime minister.

'We have a long standing special relationship with the United States, it is based on shared values, and it's a relationship where we feel in the UK we can say to the US if we disagree with something.'

Asked if patriotism would have to sometimes trump principle, Mrs May added: 'What I’m talking about is a relationship that exists between the United Kingdom and the United States.

'Yes, if we think something is unacceptable, we say that but actually this is about more than one issue.

'It is about a long standing relationship between us that has been an important bedrock for the security and stability globally that we want to build on, we want to build on in economic terms and I think there is greater prosperity for both of us if we build on that relationship and strengthen it.'

On Saturday, Trump tweeted: 'I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special!'

May's office confirmed on Thursday evening that an exact date hasn't been arranged, but the two elected officials will meet soon.

Donald Trump says he is looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May (left) in the spring. May will make the trip to Washington to hold talks with the president-elect within his first few months in office, according to a source

May's office confirmed on Thursday evening that an exact date hasn't been arranged, but the two elected officials will meet soon. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that 'Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special!'

In November of last year, Trump told May that he wanted to revive the close transatlantic bond enjoyed by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.

The controversial billionaire launched a charm offensive during a ten-minute phone call with the PM, telling her Britain is 'a very, very special place for me and our country'.

Downing Street sources said the tycoon also talked of his hope of reviving the close UK-US relationship that dominated the West throughout the 1980s.

May 'highlighted her wish to strengthen bilateral trade and investment with the US as we leave the EU'.

She also urged Trump to follow through on his pledge to work to heal the divisions that poisoned a brutal presidential elections campaign.

The groundwork for the spring meeting was laid last month when May sent her joint chiefs of staff on a secret mission to New York and Washington.

Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy are said to have met senior aides to the Republican leader during the fence-mending mission.

The visit might may have proved awkward as both publicly criticized Trump - while he was still seen as a rank outsider for the Presidency - on Twitter before they entered Number 10.

Hill said 'Donald Trump is a chump' while Timothy said he didn't 'want any "reaching out" to Trump'.

Last month's mission was part of May's efforts to build a relationship with the controversial tycoon ahead of his inauguration on January 20.

Joint chiefs of staff Nick Timothy, left, and Nick Hill, right, are said to have met senior aides to the Republican leader during the fence-mending mission last month. The visit might may have proved awkward as both publicly criticized Trump on Twitter before entering Number 10

A source said: 'This was part of a process leading towards the PM's first visit with Trump.

'During the second phone call with president-elect Trump, the Prime Minister suggested it would be a good idea for key staff from both teams to meet. President-elect Trump agreed this would be useful.

'We are pleased to have been able to make that happen and the Prime Minister looks forward to visiting the new president in the spring.'

May is keen to build relations with Trump after describing his plan to ban all Muslims from entering the US as 'plain wrong' when she was Home Secretary.

The relationship is also seen to be important as May tries to renegotiate Britain's place in global affairs following its exit of the European Union.

However it suffered a setback in November last year after it emerged Timothy and Hill had criticized Trump on Twitter.

In December 2015, Hill described Trump as 'a chump' in the wake of his controversial comments about Muslims.

In March last year, Timothy wrote: 'American politics was depressing enough before Trump took off.'

In May, he added: 'Urgh... as a Tory I don't want any ''reaching out'' to Trump.'

It is typical for the prime minister to visit the new president in the months following the inauguration.