A rising star in the Conservative Party has apologised after admitting to hacking Labour MP Harriet Harman’s website and altered its content.

Kemi Badenoch, who is a hotly tipped MP for Saffron Walden, made the confession in a video obtained by press.

Asked what is the naughtiest she’s ever done, the 38-year-old replied: “About 10 years ago I hacked into a Labour MP’s website and I changed all the stuff in there to say nice things about Tories.

“This was a foolish prank over a decade ago, for which I apologise.”

Mrs Badenoch did not name the Labour MP in question but former cabinet minister Harriet Harman later tweeted: “@KemiBadenoch has written to me apologising. I have accepted her apology.”

Mrs Badenoch then retweeted Ms Harman’s post.

In 2008, it was reported Ms Harman’s personal website was hacked and updated with a post apparently announcing her defection to the Conservative Party.

Another hacked post called for Londoners to support Boris Johnson’s bid to become Mayor of London.

Under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, unauthorised access to computer material can result in two years’ imprisonment and/or a fine.

Mustafa Al-Bassam, a PhD researcher at University College London’s computer science department, submitted a crime report to the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

He posted on Twitter: “I hope they do take this matter seriously, and apply the law equally to Tory MPs as they do to hacktivists who have gone to jail for less.”

Action Fraud confirmed it had received the report, which is now being assessed by the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

Mrs Badenoch, a former London Assembly member, was elected an MP at last year’s snap general election.

She has since been appointed Tory vice-chair with responsibility for selecting candidates for the 2022 election.