The confirmation follows Tory demands for Prime Minister Tony Blair to "put the record straight" about exactly when, and what, he was told about the events surrounding Mr Davies' cabinet exit last week.

The Shadow Home Secretary Sir Noman Fowler has written to Mr Blair asking for details of what the the government knew about the affair before he was interviewed by Mr Blair last Tuesday.

Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner John Stevens spoke to 10 Downing Street 40 minutes before the prime minister saw Mr Davies.

Mr Stevens discussed the situation with No 10 from the office of Home Secretary Jack Straw. The deputy commissioner had only a few minutes earlier rung Mr Straw to tell him of an incident involving Mr Davies.

John Stevens: "Dropped in" to Jack Straw's house

He then travelled the short distance between New Scotland Yard and the Home Office before "dropping in" on the home secretary "as a matter of courtesy", said a senior Home Office spokesman.

By coincidence, Mr Stevens was scheduled to meet then-junior Home Office minister Alun Michael, who replaced Mr Davies in the cabinet.

Downing Street has rejected suggestions Mr Michael was being lined up to replace Mr Davies as Welsh Secretary before his resignation.

The prime minister's office has denied allegations in The Times on Friday that Downing Street tried to contact Mr Michael while Mr Davies was still in his cabinet post.

Mr Michael only being approached after Mr Davies had resigned, said No 10.

News of the Scotland Yard briefing came after a day in which Downing Street was thrust back into the spotlight over the Davies affair. Questions were asked about when exactly officials there were told what had happened - and what they were told.

On Thursday evening the Home Office said that "very shortly after" 1000 GMT on the Tuesday last week that Mr Davies resigned, Mr Stevens rang the home secretary directly to inform him of the Welsh secretary's involvement in an incident.

It was after this that he "dropped in" to Mr Straw's home and began to brief him on Mr Davies' circumstances.

Also present was David Ormand, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office - the most senior civil servant in the department.

'No disclosure'

Mr Straw had then telephoned No 10 to inform Tony Blair's office of the information relayed to him.

As Mr Stevens and Mr Straw were discussing the incident, said the Home Office spokesman, "Number 10 rang back and John Stevens then spoke direct to Number 10. This was between 1015 and 1020".

The Home Office spokesman was adamant that Mr Straw would disclose no details of the conversations that took place.

But he did deny categorically suggestions in Thursday's edition of The Times newspaper that Mr Straw was told Mr Davies had been in an extremely distressed state and broke down in the interview room at Brixton police station.

A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed on Thursday evening: "John Stevens did speak briefly to a Downing Street official because he was in the Home Secretary's office when No 10 was talking to Mr Straw.

"As we have repeatedly made clear Ron Davies' resignation arose entirely from his discussion with the prime minister."