No 10 backs law Minister

Downing Street has backed Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly after it emerged he hired a firm of private detectives to carry out undercover investigations of his aides and colleagues.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman conceded that the Tory MP may have “overreacted”, but said he still had David Cameron’s “full confidence”.

Mr Djanogly was forced to defend his actions after the Daily Telegraph obtained a copy of the report by Morris Chase International.

It showed the then-shadow solicitor general had instructed the firm to conduct “discreet inquiries under the pretext of writing a newspaper article” last year. The company said all the information was obtained legally and the Huntingdon MP insisted he would “never have contemplated condoning anything unlawful or dishonest”.

But one of those targeted, Tory ex-leader of Huntingdon council Derek Holley, called on Mr Djanogly to “consider his position” and said he was appalled.