Philip Hammond has found himself at the heart of a sexism row after telling fellow members of the cabinet that driving trains was so easy "even a woman can do it."

The Chancellor's remarks did not go down well with Theresa May who was less than impressed. With Mr Hammond digging himself ever deeper into a hole, the Prime Minister drily remarked she was "going to take his shovel away", the Sun Reported.

Mr Hammond's remarks are understood to have been made during a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday, while discussing the long-running train drivers' dispute on Southern.

He questioned why it was so rare to see women train drivers when handling a modern locomotive was so simple that “even they can do it”.