Nightmare on Downing Street (cont.)

Tony Blair challenged critics of his wife, Cherie, last night to put any evidence of "criminal, illegal or improper" behaviour to the police, Bar Council or Civil Service.

An exasperated Prime Minister declared that his wife's accusers had "had their pound of flesh" after fresh allegations surfaced of Mrs Blair's links to Peter Foster, a convicted fraudster.

Downing Street will be boosted by the publication in The Sun today of taped conversations between Mr Foster and his mother appearing to show him trying to hawk his story around news organisations.

He also describes Carole Caplin, his girlfriend and Mrs Blair's personal adviser, as "stupid" for denying that Mrs Blair read legal papers relating to his threatened deportation.

"Now Carole is just covering her a***. We've got it in hand believe me. We've got it all in hand. Carole made a big mistake getting involved. She should have shut up," he was quoted as saying.

Asked by his mother whether it was true that Mrs Blair did not read the papers, he was said to have replied: "No. Of course not. She read them.

"I think Carole is stupid. She was trying to protect a friend and it was a knee-jerk reaction."

Downing Street will pounce on The Sun's revelation as proof that Mr Foster was plotting to blacken the Blairs' name.

Last night a former business associate, Mike Carroll, claimed that the fraudster started a relationship with Ms Caplin mainly to get close to the Blairs.

Earlier this week, Mrs Blair admitted making mistakes in becoming involved with Mr Foster in the purchase of two flats in Bristol, but denied any wrongdoing. The Scotsman newspaper then alleged that the Prime Minister's wife had reviewed court papers on Mr Foster's extradition and given advice on the judge hearing his case. Ms Caplin denied the claims, and Mr Foster's lawyers denied they had knowingly faxed court papers to Mrs Blair or that she had "given or offered any advice, assistance or influence whatsoever".

Downing Street also went on the offensive, suggesting for the first time that Mr Foster himself was the source of many of the allegations, including The Scotsman's report. Mr Blair's official spokesman said the Prime Minister and his wife were "not going to continue to dance to the tune of Mr Peter Foster, a convicted conman".

Mr Blair spoke after a meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul, at a European Union summit in Copenhagen. "Let me be very blunt with you. If anyone has any evidence at all ­ I mean real evidence ­ of anything criminal, illegal or improper, they should give that evidence to the appropriate authorities," he said. "I was elected to deal with the things that are really important to people. I say this with very great respect: I think everyone's had their pound of flesh and now it's time to move on."

Mrs Blair has consistently denied knowledge of the details of Mr Foster's criminal history or of becoming involved in his deportation battle.

Ms Caplin admitted having legal documents relating to Mr Foster's deportation case faxed to her at the Blairs' Downing Street flat, but she insisted that Mrs Blair did not look at them. "Cherie told me it would not be right for her to read them as it was not her case, so I folded them up, put them in my bag and took them home," Ms Caplin said.

Downing Street argued that Ms Caplin's account yesterday was "entirely consistent" with its earlier line that Mrs Blair had not received the papers.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said that Mrs Blair met Mr Foster once, and that as far as he was aware she had not spoken to him other than on that occasion. He denied that Mrs Blair had suggested a human rights defence, or that she had voiced opinions on the judge who would be dealing with Mr Foster's case. "She didn't even know this judge. It is quite difficult to say something about a judge you don't know," he said.

Mr Foster's solicitors later denied knowingly faxing papers on his extradition case to Mrs Blair. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that if anyone had any evidence that anything illegal, criminal or improper had occurred, they should come forward. "If that concerns the conduct of any civil servant, then that person is the Cabinet Secretary; if it relates to Mrs Blair's conduct as a lawyer, then that is the Bar Council; and if it concerns any charge of criminality, then that is the police," he said.

Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, said Downing Street was "drowning in very murky water" and called for an independent inquiry. "We now need the truth, no question about it," he said.