Former MI6 officer linked to Donald Trump dossier named

A former British MI6 spy has been identified as the man behind a dossier that suggested that Russia held personal information of a lurid nature about the President-elect Donald Trump.

Christopher David Steele, who was posted to Moscow in 1990, is understood to be behind the memo that was provided to an independent private intelligence company.

On Wednesday, Trump dismissed the claims as "nonsense" and "fake news" and criticised US intelligence officers for potentially leaking the information.

Donald Trump dismissed the report as 'fake news'. Credit: AP

But ITV News Security Editor Rohit Kachroo said that despite questions over its credibility, intelligence officers are still taking the implications of the allegations seriously.

Restrictions preventing the identification of Mr Steele were lifted late on Wednesday.

After leaving MI6, Mr Steele has run a private intelligence company and is currently joint director of a leading firm.