The head of the UK’s “fake news” inquiry has said democracy is facing a crisis brought about by “campaigns of disinformation and messages of hate” targeted at citizens.

Damian Collins MP issued the stark warning as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee today published its first report since launching the inquiry in January last year.

Collins, the DCMS Committee’s chairman, said what had been discovered so far through the inquiry was only the “tip of the iceberg”.