Brown denies telling spin doctors to unleash 'hell' on Chancellor

In rowdy Commons question time exchanges, Tory leader David Cameron asked why the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were "at war with each other" at the end of a long recession.

He repeatedly taunted Mr Brown over Mr Darling's accusation on Tuesday night that aides to the Prime Minister had unleashed "the forces of hell" against him for predicting the recession would be the worst for 60 years.

As Speaker John Bercow threatened to suspend the noisy sitting if MPs did not calm down, Mr Brown hit back, saying he had never instructed staff to brief against the Chancellor.

Mr Brown arrived in the chamber with Mr Darling to Tory jeers just before Question Time got under way and sat beside him on the front bench.

During exchanges, the Prime Minister accused Mr Cameron: "This is the nearest you've ever got to talking about the economy in the last few months."

Mr Cameron retorted: "If you want to talk about the economy, we can talk about you trebling the deficit, wrecking the pension system, ruining the tax system and bringing this country to its knees."

The Tory leader claimed Mr Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride " was spreading poison against Darling".

Meanwhile, the anti-bullying helpline at the centre of a row over Mr Brown's treatment of staff at Downing Street was suspended today.

The National Bullying Helpline said it was considering its future and its founder and chief executive Christine Pratt was "prepared to resign if necessary"