Dover Harbour Board has admitted that it is looking into the results of a staff survey concerning allegations about the behaviour of a top executive.

The port authority has put out a statement to the Dover Mercury in connection with a news report from Sky News about chief executive Tim Waggott.

A Port of Dover spokesman said: “Dover Harbour Board acknowledges that following a detailed and independently-managed staff engagement survey a number of issues came to light as you would normally expect.

"These are being worked through and so it would be inappropriate to provide further comment at this stage.”

It has not commented on the specific allegations against him.

Sky News says that it has learned that Mr Waggott is the subject of an investigation stemming from complaints by colleagues at the Harbour Board.

It reports that its sources said that a document containing allegations against Mr Waggott was produced by Dakoka Blue, an Ashford-based human resources consultancy.

The complaints against him are said to include the use of abusive language aimed at employees and members of the public and inappropriate physical and verbal gestures towards some women staff.

Mr Waggott was confirmed as chief executive in 2013 and continues in his post.

Dover Harbour Board dates all the way back to 1606 and is responsible for the administration, maintenance and improvement of the harbour at the Port of Dover.

It handles 13 million passengers and 2.6 million freight vehicles, representing up to £119bn of UK/European trade.

Dakota Blue, of Finn Farm Road, Kingsnorth, gave a statement, saying: "We, Dakota Blue Consulting Limited, specialise in providing services to companies looking to improve engagement and relations between employees and executives to ensure best business practice and enhanced efficiency.

"Our work is confidential and we cannot confirm or deny our instruction on behalf of any particular client or the detail or outcomes of any of our work.

"We are therefore unable to provide any further comment at this time."