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Downing Street was challenged today with 10 questions about Patrick Rock, the No 10 aide who resigned over allegations of child abuse images.

Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Jon Ashworth said the Prime Minister’s office had failed to satisfy “a number of important questions” including whether Mr Rock was tipped off that the police were being called in.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood he also asked how much David Cameron knew about a previous complaint — and whether it was right for the grievance to be handled by the PM’s chief of staff Ed Llewellyn, a friend of both Mr Cameron and Mr Rock.

“The way in which the news of Mr Rock’s resignation and arrest emerged raises a number of important questions,” said Mr Ashworth.

Mr Rock is a long-standing friend of the Prime Minister and had been tipped for a peerage. They worked together as advisers to former Home Secretary Michael Howard in the Nineties and Mr Cameron brought Mr Rock into his Downing Street team as deputy head of policy in 2011, with a brief specialising in home affairs issues.

"Obviously when I heard these allegations I was profoundly shocked and remain profoundly shocked today," Mr Cameron said during a visit to the Midlands yesterday.

"I have to be careful about what I say about this issue because a criminal investigation is under way.

"He did play an important role at Downing Street and he's resigned that position."