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Damian Green was tonight under huge pressure to resign after a Cabinet minister said watching porn at work was “not acceptable”.

The First Secretary of State - Theresa May’s deputy and closest political ally - has repeatedly insisted he never downloaded or viewed porn.

But two retired cops have claimed they found thousands of sex pics on his Commons computer while investigating Home Office leaks in 2008.

And today Education Secretary Justine Greening took a swipe at him by saying it was important to have “high standards” in public life.

Meanwhile, as a row deepened between police and MPs over the revealing of details of the porn on the Mr Green’s computer, it emerged that Mrs May’s senior aides now want him to quit rather than forcing her to decide whether to sack him or save him.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

Gavin Barwell, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, is among a host of top No 10 aides who reportedly want the embattled First Secretary of State to do the “decent thing” and “fall on his sword”.

The calls for him to go grew as it also emerged a secret file containing details of the porn on Mr Green’s computer was preserved by cops despite a command from senior officers that the data should be deleted.

Ms Greening piled pressure on beleaguered Mr Green saying it was “not acceptable” if he used a workplace computer to watch pornography.

Her stance was in contrast to some Tory MPs who have been rallying round the First Secretary of State.

Mr Green - who is also under investigation over claims of inappropriate behaviour towards a female Tory activist - has strongly denied downloading or viewing the material on the computer.

But asked on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show whether it was acceptable to view pornography on a workplace computer, Ms Greening said: “There are clear laws. I think most employers would say it wasn’t acceptable.”

Ms Greening declined to comment directly on the investigation into Mr Green, but added: “I think it is important that we have high standards in public life.”

Separately, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he has “confidence” in and “absolutely” trusts Mr Green.

(Image: PA)

Speaking on ITV’s Peston On Sunday, he said: “I do have confidence in Damian Green and I have actually been in a situation Damian Green was in, where you are in the eye of a storm and everyone thinks you’ve done an absolutely terrible thing and what I learnt from that is that you have to wait until an investigation is completed.

“And I was vindicated at the end of that process in my own case but I think we have to allow the Cabinet Office to complete their investigation.

“I know Damian Green as a colleague and I trust him absolutely and that’s why I believe what he says, but there is an investigation... and I think... we should wait.”

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Mr Hunt described Sue Gray, who is leading the Cabinet Office inquiry, as a “very, very capable lady” who has to make a judgment on whether a minister has adhered to the ministerial code.

He added: “I think we have to allow her to make that judgment, but what we can’t do is have trial by media and everyone jumping to conclusions when we don’t know the outcome of that investigation.”