Maldon's MP has pressed the Prime Minister to help bring peace and stability to stricken Ukraine which he says is a country of “huge potential”.

John Whittingdale, returned from visiting the war-torn country as part of the British-Ukraine All Party Parliamentary Group to ask Prime Minister David Cameron to provide “the lethal defensive weapons which they have requested”, to consider deploying an international peacekeeping force along the Ukrainian-Russian border or to put in place plans to encourage investment in the country.

In response in the House of Commons, Mr Cameron unexpectedly announced British service personnel would be deployed to “provide advice and a range of training”.

He said: “The announcement was one I welcomed, but it came as something of a surprise.

“It falls in with the general policy of providing support.”