Damian Green’s accuser may have mistaken his hand ‘for a piece of table cloth’ say friends – but Theresa May says complaints must be taken seriously

, Ms Maltby, 31, , whose parents were at Oxford with him, may have been mistaken.

They said: "She claims it is fleeting touch [of her knee]. But that could have been a tablecloth."

Mr Green has instructed libel lawyers over Ms Maltby’s claims, accusing her of lying when she said that he had told her his wife was "very understanding" in matters of Westminster sexual affairs.

He said he considered the woman a family friend, adding it is "completely and absolutely untrue that I've ever made any sexual advances on Ms Maltby".

And the friend of Mr Green said the mistaken "fleeting" touch of the knee had put Miss Maltby in the wrong frame of mind by the time the “suggestive” text message was sent.

But there is further pressure on the minister after his Cabinet colleague Sir Michael Fallon resigned in disgrace earlier this week – saying his past conduct had “fallen below the high standards” he asked of troops he presided over as Defence Secretary.

And it has now emerged that Ms Maltby confided in Baroness Kennedy at an Oxford University dinner a year ago about Mr Green, and said his advances had caused her to avoid him.

Mrs May’s spokesman said the PM had made clear that she supports the “very courageous” women who had spoken up since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke.

They said: “It’s important that we have a climate in Westminster where people are able to make complaints and that those complaints are taken seriously.”

Last night the scandal spread to Labour, after one of their MPs Kelvin Hopkins was suspended while an investigation was held into claims he behaved inappropriately towards a young activist.