Senior PM ally Damian Green denies computer porn claims

First Secretary of State Damian Green has strongly denied claims by a former police chief that pornographic material was found on one of his parliamentary computers.

The Sunday Times reported that former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick alleged the material was found by officers investigating government leaks in 2008.

Mr Quick, who was in charge of the leaks inquiry, claimed officers at the time reported finding "extreme porn" on a computer in Mr Green's House of Commons office.

The alleged discovery was reportedly included in a statement prepared by Mr Quick for the Leveson inquiry into press ethics.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed on Sunday morning that the ongoing Cabinet Office inquiry into Mr Green's conduct has been widened to look at the allegations.

Mr Green - effectively Prime Minister Theresa May's deputy - issued a firm denial on Twitter on Saturday night.

The Ashford MP said: "This story is completely untrue and comes from a tainted and untrustworthy source.

"I've been aware for some years that the discredited former assistant commissioner Bob Quick has tried to cause me political damage by leaking false information about the raid on my parliamentary office.

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"No newspaper has printed this story due to the complete lack of any evidence.

"It is well known that Quick, who was forced to apologise for alleging that the Conservative Party was trying to undermine him, harbours deep resentment about his press treatment during the time of my investigation.

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"More importantly, the police have never suggested to me that improper material was found on my parliamentary computer, nor did I have a 'private' computer, as has been claimed.

"The allegations about the material and computer, now nine years old, are false, disreputable political smears from a discredited police officer acting in flagrant breach of his duty to keep the details of police investigations confidential, and amount to little more than an unscrupulous character assassination."

Police controversially searched Mr Green's Commons office in November 2008 following a spate of leaks of Home Office information while Gordon Brown was prime minister.

According to the Sunday Times, current Met Commissioner Cressida Dick was one of the senior officers who worked with Mr Quick on the inquiry.

Mr Quick resigned from the force in 2009 after he was pictured entering Downing Street holding sensitive anti-terror documents, which were partially visible.

He denied disclosing details of the statement to the newspaper.

"The Sunday Times has published a story disclosing the partial content of a confidential draft witness statement that I prepared with my lawyers, in consultation with the Metropolitan Police, for the Leveson Inquiry, six years ago," he said.

"It is now being alleged in the media that I am responsible for disclosing this draft statement.

"I categorically deny disclosing any part of this draft statement to the Sunday Times.

"I take the allegations that I played any part in the disclosure of this document to the Sunday Times extremely seriously and will be considering legal action against those responsible."

Mr Quick is due to give evidence to the Whitehall inquiry launched into Mr Green's behaviour after a journalist claimed he behaved inappropriately towards her.

Kate Maltby, who is three decades younger than the First Secretary of State, told The Times that Mr Green "fleetingly" touched her knee during a meeting in a Waterloo pub in 2015, and a year later sent her a "suggestive" text message after she was pictured wearing a corset in the newspaper.

Mr Green said any allegation that he made sexual advances to Ms Maltby was "untrue (and) deeply hurtful".