A cabinet minister had to dramatically avoid a falling piece of equipment live on TV on Sunday morning, as she defended the Prime Minister’s controversial refurbishment of his flat.

Liz Truss was being asked about comments by a prominent Conservative that branded Boris Johnson a ‘vacuum of integrity’ when the interview took an unlikely turn thanks to a gust of wind.

Appearing on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, the International Trade Secretary, had to nimbly move out of the way to avoid being clobbered by what could be a lighting prop. She grimaces before quickly stepping aside, as the equipment crashes to the ground.

She says: ‘Sorry, it’s rather windy out here.’

Presenter Jayne Secker replies: ‘You’re doing ever so well battling against the elements… well done for not getting hit on the head.’

It comes as Ms Truss denied that Boris Johnson broke rules for ministers over refurbishment of his official Downing Street flat.

Ms Truss said the Prime Minister had personally met the costs of the work and she dismissed claims by his former top aide Dominic Cummings as ‘tittle tattle’.

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However, she repeatedly refused to say whether Mr Johnson had received the money from a Tory donor or from the party to pay for it.

She told the programme: ‘I have been assured that the rules have been fully complied with and I know that he has met the costs of the flat refurbishment.

‘I absolutely believe and trust that the Prime Minister has done that.’

It comes after former Attorney General Dominic Grieve described the Prime Minister as ‘a vacuum of integrity’.

Describing the row as ‘tittle tattle’, Ms Truss added: ‘What people want to know is that in line with the rules the Prime Minister has met the cost of this refurbishment. That has happened. All the costs will be declared in line with the rules.

‘That, as far as I am concerned, completely answers that question.’

Mr Cummings has hit back at the PM after being accused of being the ‘chatty rat’ who leaked details of the November lockdown.

The PM’s fiancé Carrie Symonds has been accused of asking her boyfriend to target his former political advisor in an all out war of words between the former Vote Leave allies.

This morning Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Raynor told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘The Electoral Commission should be looking into it (the flat refurbishment) absolutely and doing a full investigation, especially as you’ve got a former senior adviser to the Prime Minister suggesting that not only was it unethical but he believes it could be illegal as well.

‘These are serious allegations and we also think the Prime Minister should come to the House of Commons on Monday and should declare the ministers’ register of interests, which is eight months in delay, we’ve not seen that. Why are they hiding the fact that ministers have to declare these donations and they’ve not done that?

‘That’s serious and the list of the VIPs who got contracts who seem to be mates of Tories or Tory donors, this is a real stench around what Government is about.’

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