Wait for honours facts, says Brown

Chancellor Gordon Brown has urged people to wait for the "full facts" of the police investigation into cash-for-honours allegations to emerge.

His comments came as Downing Street once more insisted that it had "fully co-operated" with the police inquiry.

The re-arrest on Tuesday of Prime Minister Tony Blair's fundraiser Lord Levy on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice sparked speculation that the Metropolitan Police team led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates are now focusing on a possible cover-up of the sale of honours.

Reports have suggested that officers are investigating the possibility that messages relevant to the inquiry were sent on an email network separate from the main Number 10 system and then deleted.