The head of a analytics firm involved in an international data breach scandal has been filmed undercover saying the company used tactics such as honey traps, fake news campaigns and operations with spies to sway election campaigns around the world.

Cambridge Analytica (CA) has been at the centre of a international firestorm after reports it had harvested and misused data from 50 million Facebook profiles in 2014.

Reports in The Observer and Guardian suggest that the information was used to target political advertising in the 2016 US Presidential election.

Now in an investigation from Channel 4 News, the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, has been filmed by an undercover fixer posing as a political candidate from Sri Lanka, showing him admitting to a number of underhand techniques to help clients.

Mr Nix could be seen to say that the company could send operators too offer incumbents bribes"too good to be true and make sure that's video recorded. These sorts of tactics are very effective, to instantly have video evidence of corruption to go on the internet."

He also said that he could use women to create a sex scandal, saying: "We could bring some Ukrainians in on holiday with us ... They are very beautiful and I find that works very well."

The company, and Nix, are currently facing scrutiny from politicians to explain how it handled Facebook data and what role the information played in UK and US political campaigns, if any.

Following the expose, Elizabeth Denham, UK Information Commissioner, announced she is seeking a warrant to raid the company's offices.

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman called on the social media giant and data firm Cambridge Analytica to co-operate fully with an investigation by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

CA refuted the allegations that the company "or any of its affiliates use entrapment, bribes or so-called ‘honey-traps’ for any purpose whatsoever … Cambridge Analytica does not use untrue material for any purpose."

The company said that the executives had "humoured" questions posed by the fixer to "further disclose his intentions.”

On Saturday, Cambridge Analytica also denied it had done anything wrong in relation to the handling of Facebook data.

“Cambridge Analytica only receives and uses data that has been obtained legally and fairly. Our robust data protection policies comply with US, international, European Union, and national regulations,” it said.

CA was suspended from Facebook last week after it emerged that data on millions of users had not been destroyed as agreed.

Whistleblower Chris Wylie, a former research director at the UK-based company, told Channel 4 News a so-called data grab had been carried out on more than 50 million profiles in 2014.

Reports in The Observer suggested that the information was used to target political advertising in the 2016 US presidential election - something denied by CA.

Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has called on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to appear before MPs to explain his company's actions.

Asked about the reports, Mrs May's spokesman said: "The allegations are clearly very concerning.

"It is essential that people can have confidence that their personal data will be protected and used in an appropriate way.

"It is absolutely right that the Information Commissioner is investigating this matter.

"We expect Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and all the organisations involved to co-operate fully."

In a response to its suspension from Facebook, CA said it fully complied with Facebook's terms of service.

In a statement it said that: "In 2014 we received Facebook data and derivatives of Facebook data from another company, GSR, that we engaged in good faith to legally supply data for research.

"After it subsequently became known that GSR had broken its contract with Cambridge Analytica because it had not adhered to data protection regulation, Cambridge Analytica deleted all the Facebook data and derivatives, in cooperation with Facebook.

"This Facebook data was not used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump presidential campaign; personality targeted advertising was not carried out for this client either."

Information Commissioner Ms Denham said she was applying for a warrant to investigate CA's activities.

She said: "This is a complex and far-reaching investigation for my office and any criminal or civil enforcement actions arising from it will be pursued vigorously."