'Never happened': Donald Trump denies assaulting accuser inside Trump Tower

Donald Trump has denied that he kissed or had any involvement with a woman who has accused him of sexual harassment. Reacting to the front page story of Tuesday's Washington Post, the president took to Twitter to defend himself.

He said: "A woman I don't know and, to the best of my knowledge, never met, is on the FRONT PAGE of the Fake News Washington Post saying I kissed her (for two minutes yet) in the lobby of Trump Tower 12 years ago. Never happened!

"Who would do this in a public space with live security cameras running. Another False Accusation. Why doesn't the Washington Post report the story of the women taking money to make up stories about me? One had her home mortgage paid off. Only Fox News so reported...doesn't fit the Mainstream Media narrative."

Rachel Crooks, 35, told the Post that in 2006, Trump "took hold of my hand and held me in place like this," squeezing the sides of a glass of water.

The alleged incident is thought to have taken place inside the lobby of Trump Tower in New York on 11 January 2006. Crooks was 22 at the time, while Trump was aged 59.

"He started kissing me on one cheek, then the other cheek. He was talking to me in between kisses, asking where I was from, or if I wanted to be a model. He wouldn't let go of my hand, and then he went right in and started kissing me on the lips. It felt like a long kiss. The whole thing probably lasted two minutes, maybe less."

A number of women came forward to accuse Trump of sexual harassment during the 2016 presidential election campaign, all of which he has vehemently denied.

The latest allegation comes just weeks after revelations that Trump's lawyers are thought to have paid off the adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair that the pair had while his wife Melania, was pregnant with their son Barron.