West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock is fighting back over a leak of more than 100,000 'stolen' WhatsApp messages regarding care home testing during the pandemic.

The messages were leaked by Isabel Oakeshott, the ghost writer on Mr Hancock's book Pandemic Diaries, and show conversations with chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty.

A spokesman for then-health secretary Matt Hancock said: "These stolen messages have been doctored to create a false story that Matt rejected clinical advice on care home testing.

"This is flat wrong."

They say that the messages actually show that Mr Hancock pushed for testing of those going into care homes when testing was available.

They added: "It is outrageous that this distorted account of the pandemic is being pushed with partial leaks, spun to fit an anti-lockdown agenda, which would have cost hundreds of thousands of lives if followed.

"What the messages do show is a lot of people working hard to save lives."

The spokesman argued that a message, from constituency worker Allan Nixon, was deliberately excluded to change the context of the exchange.

The omitted message reads: "I wasn't in testing mtg," which they argue demonstrates that deliverability was considered, showing he did not overrule clinical advice.

In parliament's urgent questions today, minister of state for social care Helen Whately said: "There is an email following exactly this exchange... that says 'we can press ahead straight away with hospitals testing patients who are going to care homes and we should aspire to as soon as capacity allows."

Close to his west Suffolk constituency, the market town of Hadleigh emerged as among the worst-hit neighbourhoods in the entire country for coronavirus deaths during the second wave.

Of a total 63 Covid-related deaths recorded in the town as of March 31, 2021, 57 were reported by four care homes - 20 at Waterfield House, 18 at Hadleigh Nursing Home, 12 at Magdalen House and seven at Canterbury House.

The spokesman for Mr Hancock added: "The full documents have already all been made available to the inquiry, which is the proper place for an objective assessment, so true lessons can be learned."

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry will begin hearing evidence in June for its first investigation.

The Chair of the Inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett has ruled that the hearings will take place over six weeks and conclude on Friday, July 21.