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Former Phillip Hammond aide frogmarched out of Downing St accused of leaking Brexit secrets

Dominic Cummings, special advisor for Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leaves his home in London, Britain, August 20, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
You're fired: Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's special advisor, sacked Sonia Khan after a furious row (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)

A former special adviser to Philip Hammond has been frogmarched out of Downing Street accused of leaking government secrets to allies of her old boss.

Sonia Khan was sacked after an apparent blazing row with Boris Johnson’s chief aide, Dominic Cummings, according to the Mail.

The controversial Cummings accused Miss Khan of working for Hammond’s successor as Chancellor, Sajid Javid, in an attempt to stop a no-deal Brexit.

She denied the allegations but was asked to present her phone to Cummings.

The pair then argued and police were called with Miss Khan being marched out of Downing Street around 8pm as she continued to claim her innocence.

She was told she had been dismissed from her job and her Whitehall security pass was cancelled with immediate effect.

The Mail says there were several witnesses to the confrontation as a meeting was taking place at Number 10 at the same time.

General view of 10 Downing Street, London on August 28, 2019. The Government is to ask the Queen to suspend Parliament until mid-September, to force through a no-deal Brexit. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The special advisor was marched out of 10 Downing Street (Photo by Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The confrontation comes in the wake of a leaked government document earlier this month which predicted food, fuel and medicine shortages if Britain left the European Union without a deal.

The document, known as Operation Yellowhammer, warned of chaos at ports, a social care crisis and clashes between UK and EU fishing vessels.

Number 10 pointed the finger at ministers from Theresa May’s government for the leak and blamed former frontbenchers including Hammond.

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It also claimed the document’s warning were out of date.

However, it subsequently emerged that the dossier’s warnings were from this month - after Hammond was replaced by Mr Johnson.

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves the BBC studios in London, Britain, July 21, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (REUTERS/Henry Nicholls)

Hammond declared his innocence in a letter to the Prime Minister, saying the document 'would not have been available to any former minister who is not serving in the current administration'.

Miss Khan has also worked for former international trade secretary Liam Fox.

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