A former aide to David Cameron has been accused of attempting to cover up the Prime Minister's links with former News International boss Rebekah Brooks more than a year ago.
The Prime Minister was last week forced to admit that he had ridden a horse loaned to Mrs Brooks by the Metropolitan police with her huband.
But the Mail on Sunday said that it had first asked Andy Coulson, former editor of The Sun and former head of communications at Downing Street, about rumours that Mr Cameron went riding with Charlie Brooks, a racing trainer and Telegraph columnist, in late 2010.
It said Mr Brooks, an old friend from Mr Cameron’s Eton school days, had been giving Mr Cameron tips at riding with a hunt. But Mr Coulson categorically denied that the Prime Minister had ever ridden with Charlie Brooks.
The newspaper reported that he stated that "Mr Cameron had not had lessons from Mr Brooks and had not been riding with him”.
Last week Mr Cameron was forced to admit after days of questioning from The Daily Telegraph that he had indeed gone riding with Mr Brooks, on a retired police horse called Raisa which had been loaned to Rebekah Brooks by the Metropolitan Police.
He told a press conference after a European summit: “Before the election I did go riding with him. He has a number of different horses and yes one of them was this police horse Raisa, which I did ride.”
Last night, Mr Cameron’s aides attempted to distance themselves from any suggestion that they had tried to conceal the fact Mr Cameron went riding with Mr Brooks.
One aide said: “I am absolutely certain we would not have given a categorical denial to something that was true. We would not have denied something that is true. I don’t know how that situation came about.”
The aide said Mr Cameron rode with Mr Brooks on a “handful of occasions” although Mrs Brooks spokesman said the pair had ridden together “many times”.
Downing Street also said Mr Cameron had not ridden with hounds in an official hunt since the nation-wide ban was introduced in February 2005. The aide said: "He has not taken part in hunting since that time."
It emerged last week that Mr Cameron rode Raisa several times, while Mrs Brooks, rode her only once because of the horse’s difficult temperament.
There was some respite for Mr Cameron on Sunday when Mrs Brooks insisted that she had never ridden with Mr Cameron. The Prime Minister has insisted since last Thursday that he could not recall riding with Mrs Brooks.
David Wilson, Mrs Brooks; spokesman, said: “They have never ridden together. She is unequivocal – she has never ridden with David Cameron.”
Mr Wilson said: Raisa was “wasn’t suitable for a novice rider” because she was traumatised during a 13 spell in the Met’s riot squad.
He added: “Charlie could ride it but Rebekah couldn’t. It was apparent on the first day she tried to ride it. She did not take on the horse to ride it but as a charitable deed to assist the Met.
They were looking to home a horse that would otherwise have ended up in the knackers’ yard.” Mr Coulson did not return telephone calls on Sunday. Mr Coulson was unavailable to comment.
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