SLEAZE returned to cast its shadow over the Conservative party in the Tatton constituency as allegations set to damage the reputation of MP George Osborne were made in a smear campaign in the run up to the Tory leadership election.

Photographs of Mr Osborne with a prostitute at a party where cocaine was alleged to have been snorted were published in Sunday newspapers.

But supporters were quick to dismiss claims he was involved in drug taking in his youth as "utter rubbish."

And in a statement to the Wilmslow Express Mr Osborne said; "The allegations are completely untrue and dredging up a photo from when I was 22 years old is pretty desperate stuff."

Mr Osborne, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, is managing the leadership campaign of David Cameron which has been blighted due to his refusal to answer questions about his past and in particular whether he ever took drugs.

He told the Express: "This is merely part of an absurd smear campaign to divert attention from the issues that matter in this leadership contest and I am confident that people will not be distracted by this rubbish."

He went on to explain his links with vice girl, Natalie Rowe, 42, a "dominatrix" who claimed he was among friends who joined parties in Chelsea 12 years ago when he was an Oxford University student. The father of her child is a close friend of Mr Osborne.

He said: "I met them together occasionally in the autumn of 1993, and it soon became clear that my friend had started to use drugs. He became more and more addicted, and I saw his life fall apart.

"With his other friends, I tried to persuade him to seek treatment. Eventually he did, and after a long time in rehabilitation he has now recovered and put his life back together. I am very, very proud of the battle he has fought and won.

"That is and always has been the sum total of my connection with this woman.

"It was a stark lesson to me at a young age of the destruction which drugs brings to so many people's lives.

"Ever since then I have believed that tough, realistic policies to tackle the evil of drugs should be one of the top priorities of any government.

"I now want to respect the privacy of my friend, who is now happily recovered and working full time abroad, and the privacy of his young child. For the sake of that child I think we should leave them alone."

Meanwhile there was unflinching support in Wilmslow for the MP, father of two and married to Francis, a barrister and writer.

Hayley Davenport, spokesman at the Tatton constituency headquarters said "I think it is pretty much a non-story. George has done nothing wrong. People are taking a side swipe at him in advance of the leadership election.

"He has our full support, all this was 12 years ago and has no bearing on him today and the excellent job he is doing. It is a pathetic attempt to smear David Cameron in his leadership campaign."

Former MP Martin Bell who fought and won an election in 1997 an anti sleaze ticket against Neil Hamilton, said he too dismissed the allegations as irrelevant.

He said: "All this was 12 years ago and I think it is entirely a matter between him and the voters in his constituency. If I was a Tatton voter I would not be worried about that but that he was duped into voting for an illegal war."

He added: "It was entirely a different affair with Neil hamilton which concerned financial matters. This is personal."