MP Adam Holloway has been criticised by Downing Street for travelling to Ukraine against UK government advice.

The Gravesham MP, a former soldier who has worked as a news reporter, appeared in television interviews after crossing into the war-struck country from south east Poland.

Speaking to GB News, the MP described “extraordinary scenes” of refugees queueing at the border to flee Ukraine.

The 56-year-old appears to have gone against Foreign Office guidance advising against all travel to Ukraine.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said he was not aware of Mr Holloway’s trip to Ukraine but added “our advice applies to everyone”.

Asked if Mr Holloway should come home, the spokesman said: “He should certainly not travel to Ukraine.”

Mr Holloway, who is also a member of the Home Affairs Committee, told the TV channel that he started his day by going to McDonald’s near the border which was “packed with women and children and a few elderly people”.

“I’ve only been on the ground for just over 12 hours but it seems to me that these people here are absolutely determined to fight."

He described witnessing "the mother of all traffic jams" as he drove into Ukraine on his way to a city 80 miles into the war-struck country, where he saw volunteers packing medical kits for soldiers.

He added: "We went round the corner and there was a place where people volunteer to sign up for the military, and we ran into Ukraine's top concert pianist Igor Grubin. It was fascinating talking to him, because so many people are volunteering for the military that they're only taking people with actual military experience – there just aren't enough guns.

“I’ve only been on the ground for just over 12 hours but it seems to me that these people here are absolutely determined to fight.

“If you look at the moral component of warfare, and as you know I used to be a soldier, that is the decisive thing.

“We can’t know what’s going to happen over the next few days and months but one thing I can absolutely tell you is that these people here, certainly where I am right now and I think right across Ukraine, it does feel to me as if they’re going to fight.”