The row over how many people attended the inauguration of Donald Trump escalated with his Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, rounding on journalists at his first formal press briefing.

Mr Spicer refused to take questions from journalists at the briefing in the White House. Instead he harangued journalists, accusing the media of "deliberately false reporting" what happened on the day of the inauguration.

“This was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period,” he said. “Both in person and around the globe.”

"No one had numbers. Because the National Park Service, which controls the National Mall, does not put any out," he said.