The BBC and several major American news organisations were on Friday afternoon barred from a White House press briefing in a an unprecedented move by the Trump administration.

Reporters from the BBC, CNN, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Politico were all refused access to an off-camera press briefing by Sean Spicer, President Donald Trump's press secretary.

Alongside the Daily Mail and Buzzfeed, they were refused entry to Mr Spicer's West Wing office for the scheduled briefing.

"Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties," said Dean Baquet, the executive editor of the New York Times.