Mark Adams is accused of raping the woman in her 20s at his former home in Blackheath

A Downing Street private secretary who was awarded an OBE after working with Tony Blair and John Major raped a sleeping woman as she slept, a court heard.

Mark Adams, who worked as an aide in No 10 during the 1990s, is accused of raping the woman in her 20s at his former home in Blackheath, south east Lon­don.

Woolwich Crown Court heard that the woman had been sleeping on a sofa bed the morning after the 2015 general election when the alleged incident had happened.

Adams, 56, told the jury he was 'mystified' after the alleged victim told him that he had raped her during a visit to a cafe later that day.

The Mirror reported prosecuting lawyer Catherine Farrelly as saying: 'It's my suggestion he's perhaps spent too much time in... politics because you can't get a straight answer to a straight question.'

Adams, who claims to have had 'two to three whiskeys' that night, says he bought the victim the morning after pill as it was 'what she wanted me to do to move on'.

Adams denies rape. The trial continues.

From January 1992 until December 1997 he worked at the heart of Government, serving as Private Secretary to Major and Blair in their time as Prime Minister.

He is now an independent political consultant, media commentator and general business adviser.