Prime Minister stands by under-fire senior aide Dominic Cummings

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings arriving at his north London home, as lockdown questions continue to bombard the Government after it emerged that he travelled to his parents' home despite coronavirus-related restrictions. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 24, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

The Prime Minister has given his backing to his de facto chief-of-staff Dominic Cummings, despite growing calls from his backbenches to sack the aide following allegations he breached lockdown restrictions.

Boris Johnson, speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, said Mr Cummings had "acted responsibly, legally and with integrity".

Conservative MPs had been baying for Mr Johnson to dispense with Mr Cummings after it emerged he had travelled 260 miles to County Durham in March to self-isolate with his family while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.

Further reports also suggested he took a second trip to the North East in April, having already returned to London.

Mr Cummings denied the fresh allegations, which were reported by the Observer and the Sunday Mirror, and Mr Johnson announced he would be standing by his most senior aide.

Leading the Government press conference for the third time since being discharged from hospital on April 12, Mr Johnson said he could "not mark down" Mr Cummings for the way he acted.

The PM said: "I have had extensive face-to-face conversations with Dominic Cummings and I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus - and when he had no alternative - I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent.

"And I do not mark him down for that.

"Though there have been many other allegations about what happened when he was in self-isolation and thereafter, some of them palpably false, I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, during an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme on Sunday, had denied that Mr Cummings was going to resign.

Clamour grew on Sunday for the PM to dispense with the adviser he credited with helping him to win a landslide at the general election last year.

A host of Tory MPs piled in to claim the 48-year-old's position had become "untenable" after it was confirmed he journeyed to stay in a family property in Durham when Government advice was to stay home.