David Cameron 'likely' to have ridden Rebekah Brooks’ ex-police horse, Number 10 says

David Cameron is "likely" to have ridden Rebekah Brooks’ ex-police horse, it has emerged

David Cameron is likely to be questioned about his friendship with Mrs Brooks by Lord Justice Leveson as part of his inquiry into press ethics 

The disclosure raises questions about the closeness between the Prime Minister and Mrs Brooks, the former tabloid editor who quit as chief executive of News International at the height of the phone hacking scandal last summer.

Mrs Brooks was lent a retired police horse by the Metropolitan Police for two years. The horse, called Raisa, was stabled at Mrs Brooks' farm in the Cotswolds from 2008 to 2010, before she was handed back to Scotland Yard.

After three days of refusing to say whether Mr Cameron had ridden the horse, aides last night disclosed that in all probability he did, although he could not be sure as he rode several of Mr Brooks’ horses.

One of the Prime Minister’s aides said: “It is highly possible that he was on that horse. It is likely that he rode that horse. He used a number of Charlie’s horses.”

She also confirmed that it was possible Mr Cameron had also gone riding with Mrs Brooks, because he could not be “100 per cent sure”. The aide said: “He has no recollection of ever going riding with Rebekah Brooks.”

Mr Cameron also admitted that he had been riding with Mr Brooks, a neighbour and former school friend from Eton public school, who is also a columnist on The Sunday Telegraph.

He told Channel 5 News: “It’s a matter of record that I have ridden horses with Rebekah Brooks’ husband in my constituency. Since becoming Prime Minister, I may have got on a horse once, but not that one.”

The Daily Telegraph has established that the horse was lent to Mrs Brooks in 2008 following discussions with Dick Fedorcio, the Met Police’s director of public affairs.

Raisa was returned to the care of Scotland Yard in early 2010, before the general election, and put out to pasture in Norfolk. She died a few months later.

Last night Labour MP Tom Watson said Raisa threatened to symbolise the cosy friendship between the key players embroiled in the phone hacking scandal.

He told The Daily Telegraph: “This horse is becoming the symbol of this scandal. It shows how powerful media players and politicians got too close.”