A former Radcliffe Times reporter who set up a controversial meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a Russian lawyer during the US election campaign has said he regrets his involvement.

Rob Goldstone, a dual British and US citizen who was born in Whitefield, said the Russians were offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton during the presidential race.

He sent an email offering to arrange a meeting in June 2016 with a Russian government prosecutor who could hand over documents that could "incriminate" Mrs Clinton.

After speaking to the Bolton News and Bury Times last week, he has now spoken to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He said: "What it said was that my client in Russia had called me, and an attorney had some potentially damaging information about illegal Russian funding to the Democrats that could incriminate Hillary Clinton."

Mr Trump Jr said if it turned out to be "what you say it is, I love it", Mr Goldstone said.

He claimed that, having sat in on the meeting, "you would be hard pushed to believe" that it "was evidence of any form of collusion".

"I'm this bizarre character that's found themselves in the middle and I have really no vested interest in either side," he said.

He added: "Sitting here today with everything I have learnt over the last 12 months, I would write that email, I would read that email, I would go 'no, no, no' and I would hit delete."

Mr Goldstone met President Trump in Moscow in 2013 during a Miss Universe contest.

He dismissed lurid allegations in a dossier by a former British spy about Mr Trump dating back to the event because he had worked long hours.

"What I've always maintained is there's about a four-and-a-half, maybe five-hour period between say 2am or 2.30am and 7am when this, for sure, could have taken place but it's odd that no-one ever mentioned," he said.

"I would have heard some gossip, I'm convinced of it."