MICHELLE Mone has been heavily criticised for using her new “Lady Mone” Twitter account to promote controversial pills which experts have included among the “worst diets of the year”.

The entrepreneur, who took up her seat in the House of Lords last month, used her social media account to share a special offer for Trimsecrets, an appetite suppressant.

She told her 1.1 million followers: “I need a bikini body for the beach at Xmas! Training hard but Trimsecrets have helped me big time.”

However, the pills were described by the British Dietetic Association as one of the “worst diets of the year”. Other contenders included a kale and chewing gum diet and one that involves drinking coffee with melted butter.

Baroness Mone, who was recently appointed as the UK Government’s business start-up czar, set up Trimsecrets with naturopath Jan de Vries, but was said to have sold the company earlier this year.

Aishling Piggot, a spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, said: “Any person in a position of authority should not be advertising this."

Professor of nutrition at Glasgow University, Mike Lean, said: “Her diet pills do absolutely nothing.”

A spokesman for Baroness Mone said: “She uses the pills every day and she swears by them. They’re completely herbal.”

A spokesman for TrimSecrets said: "During a public Twitter trial in 2013, participants lost over 30 stone between them over a three-month period using the pills and following the slimming plan.

"We urge you to investigate this and speak to our repeat customers on why they follow our plan.

"TrimSecrets is not, and has never claimed to be, a 'diet pill'."