Piers Morgan hit with another 280 Ofcom complaints over second row with MP Helen Whately

PIERS Morgan has been hit with almost 300 new Ofcom complaints following an on-air row with MP  and Health and Social Care Minister Helen Whately.

TV watchdog Ofcom confirmed to The Sun Online today that Piers' Good Morning Britain interview has sparked 1,246 complaints from the British public, up 280 from the after his second argument with the politician.

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Nearly in which the 55-year-old host ripped into the Conservative MP as she tried to defend why so few people in care homes have been tested so far amid reports thousands of patients have already died.

But their second clash saw the TV personality blast the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent for not knowing the country’s care home death toll.

He called the grave situation in care homes a “scandal of epic proportions” as he tore into the Minister.

However, his persistent grilling and criticism of the MP did not go down well with some viewers.

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Their first interview saw Piers accuse the Minister of laughing when he produced a front-page over care home deaths.

Piers told her: “I’m showing viewers a Daily Mail front page, I don’t know why you’re laughing. Why are you laughing?”

She replied: “I’m sorry, my reaction was because you said, I’ll show you something, but I can’t see what you’re showing.”

In the second car-crash interview, Ms Whately claimed the latest figures for care home deaths were 1,043, but admitted it’s “probably more”.

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Demanding answers, Piers said: “So how many do you think have died in care homes?

“You are the Care Minister, how many more have died than the Government figures?”

The Tory MP said she could publish more accurate figures next week, only to be shouted down by the furious TV host.

He said: “I don’t want to wait a week, we had this conversation last week and you didn’t know then either. The FT says it’s over 41,000.”

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Ms Whately dismissed the figure as one she “didn’t recognise”, and warned against data that “hasn’t been verified”.

Earlier this month ITV was warned over Piers' "combative presenting" after GMB avoided an Ofcom investigation.

The regulator gave the channel a slap on the wrists in a report after Piers was accused of "mocking Chinese people".

Although it ruled not to pursue a full investigation, an Ofcom spokesman said: “We remind ITV that there are compliance risks in relying on a ‘combative dynamic’ between presenters as a way to provide challenge and context for the broadcast of content which may cause offence.

“This approach can provide significant context, as in this case. However, depending on the particular circumstances, this may not always provide sufficient context to comply with the code.”