Pressure increases on Number 10 over Patrick Rock arrest

Patrick Rock, senior adviser to David Cameron (Rex Features)

Labour moved to increase the pressure on Downing Street over the arrest and resignation of Patrick Rock in connection with child abuse images.

Number 10 has been accused of an attempted cover-up the incident after it repeatedly refused to go into detail over the arrest of Mr Rock, who was one of the Prime Minister’s longest-standing political allies.

It argues that it risks compromising any police investigation if it spells out the timing and the circumstances of the incident.

But in a letter to Downing Street, Jonathan Ashworth, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, asked a series of questions he said would not cut across any police inquiry.

Mr Ashworth said the public deserved answers as “Rock had a senior role at the heart of government and was privy to the most sensitive information” and “had a very close working relationship with the Prime Minister over a number of years”.

His questions centred on the 19-day delay between Downing Street learning of the allegations and and publicly confirming their existence, as well as when Mr Cameron was informed. Mr Ashworth also asked what contacts officials had had with Mr Rock since he resigned.