MPs both in East Lancashire and nationwide have ramped up pressure on Boris Johnson to dispense with his top aide amid fresh allegations that Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules more than once.

The Prime Minister has been urged to sack Mr Cummings after reports surfaced that the 48-year-old made a second trip to County Durham, where his family lives, despite stringent social restrictions.

In East Lancashire MPs have been sharply critical of the conduct of both Mr Cummings and Mr Johnson.

Blackburn Labour MP Kate Hollern said: “For someone in such a senior position who helped to introduce these regulations in the first place to then break them – I think it’s disgraceful and arrogant.

“The Prime Minister needs to come forward and explain the actions of his employee, I think it’s quite cowardly to put other ministers up.”

She added: “To decide to take a child in a car 400 miles, it’s a nonsense!”

Ms Hollern’s comments were echoed by former Hyndburn MP Graham Jones.

He said: "Dominic Cummings as Boris's top advisor in No10 has told us to "Stay at home, don't go and meet elderly relatives".

"We now find he's ignored his own rules more than once, it appears he's been to tourist sites too whilst showing symptoms.

"The story that government ministers are putting forward on his behalf just doesn't add up.

"There now needs to be a thorough investigation of Mr Cumming's actions — and those of other senior staff.

"The British people deserve trust and confidence in their leaders.”

Conservative MPs Sara Britcliffe and Antony Higginbotham have been approached for comment.

Backbench Tories, including prominent 1922 Committee member Steve Baker, said Mr Cummings "must go", but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said reports of a second trip were "not true".

The PM pledged his "full support" on Saturday to his under-fire chief adviser, who it emerged had travelled 260 miles to the North East in March to self-isolate with his family while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.

According to the Sunday Times, the Conservative Party leader told allies he would not throw Mr Cummings "to the dogs" following reports he made the journey to ensure his four-year-old child could be looked after as he and his wife were ill.

But according to reports in the Observer and Sunday Mirror, the former Vote Leave campaign co-ordinator made a second trip to Durham and was seen there on April 19 - five days after being photographed on his return to Westminster.

A second eyewitness told the two papers they saw him a week earlier in Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday, a popular tourist location 30 miles away from Durham, during the period he was believed to be self-isolating.

Downing Street has said it would "not waste time" replying to the fresh allegations from "campaigning newspapers".

But Mr Baker told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "If he doesn't resign, we'll just keep burning through Boris's political capital at a rate we can ill afford in the midst of this crisis.

"It is very clear that Dominic travelled when everybody else understood Dominic's slogans to mean 'stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives'."