The Government spent £1.2 million on legal costs in its effort to stop MPs from voting on Brexit, new figures have revealed.

Some £1,143,000 went on the unsuccessful battle to prevent a House of Commons vote on the triggering of Brexit negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties and a further £78,000 on a separate case relating to the European Economic Area, which was blocked by the High Court.

The figures were revealed in the annual report for the Department for Exiting the EU, which showed that David Davis's department underspent its £50 million budget for 2016/17 by more than £25 million.

Staffing was the biggest expense, at £14 million, followed by legal costs at a total of £3.7 million.

The report also said the department has grown from just 56 staff when it was created in July 2016 to 384 by the end of March 2017 and will continue to grow over the next year.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake described the £1.2 million bill as "a kick in the teeth for taxpayers".

"The Conservatives fought every step of the way in the courts to try and avoid proper scrutiny over Brexit," said Mr Brake. "Now the public is having to pick up the tab.

"None of this would have happened if the Government had done the right thing and given Parliament a full role from the start.

"But this bill is nothing compared to the huge cost the country will pay if the Conservatives plough ahead with their extreme version of Brexit."

In a foreword to the report, Mr Davis said: "We are now in a strong position to deliver a smooth and orderly exit.

"As the first year and first phase of the UK's exit from the EU has ended, another year and another phase start with the negotiations for our exit deal now under way. I know that with the continued energy and creativity shown by the Department so far, we will deliver a deal that works for everyone."

Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said: "Taking this case to the Supreme Court was a colossal waste of time and money. Parliament needed be brought into the Brexit process, not pushed away.

"To have spent over £1 million of taxpayers' money trying to avoid Parliamentary scrutiny says all you need to know about this Prime Minister's priorities and her closed, divisive approach to Brexit."