Tabloid editor dined with Blairs before phone scoop

Tabloid rivalry over coverage of the Cheriegate affair threatened to reignite last night after it emerged that the Prime Minister and his wife had dinner with the editor of The Sun before the newspaper printed compromising phone conversations between Peter Foster and his mother.

The Daily Mirror, along with the Daily Mail, has been implicitly censured in Sun editorials for its criticism of the Blairs over the affair. It is expected to question the purpose of the dinner last week between David Yelland and Tony and Cherie Blair, which was also attended by Alastair Campbell and his partner, Fiona Millar, who is in charge of Mrs Blair's communications. It was held days before The Sun published transcripts of private telephone conversations between Peter Foster, and his mother on Friday last week in which the conman suggested that he wanted to sell his story for £100,000.

Sources at The Sun claimed Mr Yelland did not learn of the telephone conversations, which proved damaging to Mr Foster, the convicted fraudster who helped Mrs Blair to negotiate the purchase of two flats, until the next morning at the newspaper.

Downing Street said it was "absurd" to suggest No 10 had any link with the tapes.