Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said suggestions that Boris Johnson will not sack Priti Patel after she was reportedly found to have bullied Home Office staff showed "all the hallmarks of a prime ministerial cover-up".

The Labour MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we need to see the full report, it needs to be published in full, line by line and the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister need to come to Parliament to answer questions because the revelation in recent days have been extraordinarily serious.

"I'm afraid this really does have all the hallmarks of a prime ministerial cover-up and raises questions about his judgment.

"If what has been reported is correct, then it is tantamount to the Prime Minister condoning bullying."

Mr Thomas-Symonds said he had, given the nine-month delay in finalising the investigation into Ms Patel's conduct, "lost confidence in this process" and said the matter should be referred to the Committee on Standards in Public Life for a "full investigation to take place and establish the facts".

Health secretary Matt Hancock refused to be drawn on the topic of bullying allegations made against Home Secretary Priti Patel and said that she was "nothing but courteous".

"The truth is she's also absolutely determined to deliver on the priorities on which we were elected," the Health Secretary told Times Radio.

"She's a brilliant Home Secretary."

Mr Hancock said that it would be "premature" to comment on the issue before the findings of the report into Ms Patel's behaviour had been published.

He told BBC Breakfast that he felt "very proud" to serve in a cabinet with Home Secretary Priti Patel.

"I think she's doing an excellent job and is an excellent Home Secretary and really delivering on things that matter to people," he said.

"In all the dealings I've ever had with her she's been nothing but courteous."