BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg is facing criticism after appearing to quickly jump to the defence of the Prime Minister’s top adviser following reports he flouted lockdown rules.

Dominic Cummings faces a chorus of calls to resign after a joint Guardian and Mirror investigation revealed he had travelled 250 miles from London to Durham to visit his parents while sick with coronavirus.

READ MORE: Dominic Cummings investigated by police after flouting lockdown rules

He and his wife have argued they made the journey so his parents could take care of their son while they both suffered with Covid-19. Those who have symptoms of the virus are legally supposed to self-isolate for seven days.

Last night Kuenssberg publicly responded to the Mirror’s political editor Pippa Crerar, who had posted the story to her own Twitter profile, appearing to correct facts in the article in accordance with what she had heard from her own unnamed “source”.

She told Crerar within an hour of the story being posted: “Source says his trip was within guidelines as Cummings went to stay with his parents so they could help with childcare while he and his wife were ill - they insist no breach of lockdown.”

She also tweeted the Mirror journalist to say: “PM's chief adviser did travel from London to County Durham during lockdown when he and his wife had coronavirus to stay in a separate building at his family's farm, a source close to him confirms - source says it is not true that he was spoken to by police ...”

Police have since publicly confirmed they did speak to the owners of a property where an individual was staying who had travelled from London to Durham.

Kuenssberg’s initial tweet to Crerar has racked up replies, with more than 10,000 people responding to the controversial post.

Journalist Aaron Bastani asked: “Is rebuttal for the PM's advisor your job?”

Ross McCafferty added: “The government chose not to offer comment to the Mirror's story. Instead they briefed an anonymous quote to the BBC who ran with it breathlessly - trying to invalidate the mirror in the process. Pathetic.”

Meanwhile, people who would not typically be critical of the BBC got involved. George Turner tweeted: “I generally think that the criticism of Laura Kuenssberg is absurd, but it is a bit odd for the BBC political editor to be rebutting another journalist's story with an unnamed source.”

Commentator Frances Coppola added: “I have to say I find it very hard to defend Laura Kuenssberg's behaviour. We don't pay her to act as Cummings's mouthpiece.”

Sources close to Cummings have briefed journalists that he has no intention to resign, but pressure is likely to be put on Number 10 over the next few days to explain why the senior adviser’s behaviour was acceptable.