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Priti Patel has called for a formal investigation into claims she is being side-stepped by intelligence chiefs who do not trust her with certain information.

An ally of Ms Patel said she was "absolutely livid" and has demanded the Cabinet Office carry out a leak inquiry into the so-called "hostile briefings" at the Home Office.

However, Cabinet Office sources were adamant that a request had not been received either formally or informally.

On Sunday, MI5 - which often refuses to comment on newspaper reports - took the unusual step of strongly denying the claims it was limiting intelligence sharing and said Ms Patel was the victim of a dirty tricks campaign.

But former minister Theresa Villiers hit out at the claims about Ms Patel on Monday morning. She told BBC Radio 4's Today Show: "I'm sick of spiteful briefings against women in high public office.

"I think whoever's making these briefings should stop it."

Asked if she thought there was some misogyny in the comments aimed at Ms Patel, she said: "Yes, yes I do."

The latest allegation came after the Home Secretary was accused of bullying officials and creating an “atmosphere of fear” at the department, which allies denied.

She has expressed concern at the "false allegations" being made about her following claims of bullying and now distrust from senior intelligence officials.

An unnamed official was quoted in The Sunday Times claiming MI5 found Ms Patel "extremely difficult to deal with" and that she "doesn't grasp the subtleties of intelligence".

Another said Ms Patel was now receiving less information from the Security Service than her predecessor because of her attitude.

Following the report, a security source told The Guardian the information was "simply untrue" and that she was getting the same information from the agency as the previous Home Secretary.

Some of Ms Patel's allies believe officials are carrying out briefings in her absence because they do not like being challenged.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary and permanent secretary are deeply concerned about the number of false allegations appearing in the media.

“They are focused on delivering on the Home Office’s hugely important agenda, which includes creating an immigration system that works for the UK, putting more police on the streets and keeping the public safe from terrorism.”

A Government spokesman responded: “The Home Secretary and MI5 have a strong and close working relationship, and baseless claims to the contrary are both wrong and against the public interest.

“The Home Secretary receives the same daily intelligence briefings as her predecessors, and no information is being withheld.”

Home Office Minister James Brokenshire said Ms Patel is “demanding” but he does not accept claims that she is a bully.

“Yes, she is demanding, but in that role you have to be because you are dealing with some of the most sensitive, some of the most challenging things that you have to deal with across Government,” he told Sky News.

“I think the Home Secretary is absolutely focused on the public good, the agenda that we’ve set around policing, on immigration and indeed around counter-terrorism and security.”

He described the reports as “absolute nonsense”, but conceded that there is “huge frustration” across the Home Office around some of the “false assertions that have been made publicly”.

It emerged last week that she had tried to move permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam from her department after they had a series of rows.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis was warning against the creation of “hit lists” for civil service staff.

His comments followed suggestions that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings want to replace a number of officials as part of a Whitehall shake-up.

Speaking on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Davis suggested the current issues in the civil service would not be resolved via a “firing squad”.

Ms Patel took up her first role in Cabinet in 2016 under then Prime Minister Theresa May. She was forced to resign a year later after it was revealed she failed to tell No 10 about a series of meetings she had with Israeli ministers while on a supposed holiday in the country.

She was promoted from the backbenches to become Home Secretary last summer when Boris Johnson took over the premiership.