The Government knew about a looming sexual abuse scandal within the aid sector involving 300 people, the former International Development Secretary has claimed as she accused charities of creating a “culture of denial”.

Amid fresh allegations over an alleged prostitution scandal embroiling Oxfam, Priti Patel claimed that instances of sexual abuse were “well documented”, adding that the disclosures were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

She said that although she had raised the issue with the Department for International Development while in office, there had been “no international leadership” on the issue.

It comes two days after Ms Patel called for a criminal investigation into Oxfam, telling this newspaper that the charity’s handling of the controversy had been “absolutely scandalous”.

Speaking to the BBC’s John Pienaar, Ms Patel said: “I knew this was going on… I made this our own agenda, I did my research, this [sex abuse] is well documented. The tragedy is there has been no international leadership on this whatever.”

“People knew in DFID, I raised this directly with my department at the time…. The UN said last year there were 120 cases involving 300 people - and that is just the tip of the iceberg”

“There is a culture of denial [of sexual abuse] in the aid sector… my former Department did not raise this with me, I raised it with them”