THE Kremlin was behind the White House’s wild claim that GCHQ spied on Donald Trump, spymasters believe.

An investigation by the Cheltenham-based eavesdropping agency has discovered the accusation was initially made by a Russian fake news blog.

5 Vladimir Putin's henchmen are notorious for spreading false but damaging claims Credit: EPA

President Vladimir Putin’s henchmen are notorious for the black propaganda trick of spreading untrue but highly damaging claims on the internet.

Believed to have been acting on President Trump’s direct orders, White House press secretary Sean Spicer repeated it on Thursday night during a bizarre news conference having heard it from a TV pundit on US news network Fox News.

The revelation comes after America apparrently issued a grovelling apology to Downing Street yesterday for spreading the false claim that Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama asked GCHQ to snoop on him after his shock election victory In November.

5 Donald Trump's press secretary made the claim at a media briefing Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

It sparked a full blown diplomatic incident and threatened to put crucial Trans-Atlantic intelligence cooperation at risk.

The furious spy agency issued a very rare public statement to rubbish the unsubstantiated accusation.

An intelligence source told The Sun: “We have identified the site where the claim was first made.

“The whole incident bears all the hallmarks of the Russians. It’s a shame people who should know better fell for it.”

A formal apology for it came overnight via Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor H R McMaster to his opposite number in No10, the PM’s security chief Sir Mark Lyall Grant.

5 Press secretary Sean Spicer made the claim after hearing it on Fox News

Mr Spicer also rang Britain’s Ambassador in Washington DC Sir Kim Darroch yesterday to promise him the allegation would not be repeated.

Branding the claim “complete and utter nonsense”, a furious GCHQ spokesman said late on Thursday night: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President elect are nonsense.

"They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."

However, Trump brushed off questions about the claims at a press conference later, saying he "very seldom" regrets anything he tweets.

Trump, speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said "at least we have something in common," apparently referring to reports during Obama's presidency that the United States bugged her phone.

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Trump also deflected criticism of Spicer, saying his Press Secretary was just quoting an analyst on cable Fox News analyst when he made the comments.

When asked about the issue, Spicer later said that "'I don't think we regret anything," before saying that the White House had not apologised but was merely "passing on news reports".

The PM’s official spokesman said yesterday: “We have received assurances that these allegations won't be repeated, and the administration doesn't give the allegations any credence".

Downing Street insisted GCHQ are forbidden from spying on any state official from the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – who form the Five Eyes alliance along with the US.

5 Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary, called the claims "very dangerous" Credit: PA:Press Association

The wild claim was made just after the US Senate Intelligence Committee embarrassed the White House by saying there was no evidence to support Trump’s claim that Mr Obama had bugged his New York office and home.

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said the US needs to go further and make clear there is no evidence that GCHQ was ever involved in spying on Mr Trump.

5 The claims led to GCHQ issuing a rare public statement to condemn them Credit: EPA

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "That's just foolish and very, very dangerous stuff, and President Trump better get a grip - not only on his own press officer, but on the kind of encouragement being given from the White House that makes a press officer make these stupid remarks in the first place.

"It's dangerous because we're not talking about a candidate for the presidency, that would be bad enough. We're talking about the president of the US. You cannot have his official spokesman making allegations against a fellow Nato government."