Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Shropshire for a keynote speech this afternoon, just hours after it was revealed he has been questioned for a second time by police investigating allegations of cash for honours.

His official spokesman revealed officers questioned the Prime Minister as a witness for about 45 minutes at 10 Downing Street, but refused to discuss details of the meeting last Friday.

The interview, which took place before Mr Blair left for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was kept secret until today at the request of the Metropolitan Police for operational reasons.

But despite the mounting pressure he finds himself under, it was business as usual for the Prime Minister as he addressed a conference on sport in schools at Telford International Centre this afternoon.

Mr Blair announced the creation of 10 new sports colleges across the country, none of which is in Shropshire. He said the new colleges would build on the Government’s record of creating specialist centres for education.

He said it was one of the ways the Government had “sought to transform the landscape over the last decade”.

Mr Blair’s questioning by police for a second time follows the January 19 arrest of his close aide, Ruth Turner, on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, and came shortly before this week’s arrest of his chief fundraiser, Lord Levy, on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Blair was not under caution at the meeting which lasted less than one hour. Only himself, a Downing Street note taker and an unknown number of police officers were present.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said that Mr Blair “co-operated fully” with detectives.

Mr Blair became the first sitting Prime Minister to be questioned as part of a criminal investigation when he spoke to detectives for two hours on December 14, in what was then thought to be the climax of an inquiry launched in March last year.

But subsequent weeks have seen the police team, headed by Assistant Commissioner John Yates, broaden their inquiries beyond cash-for-honours allegations to look into the possibility of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Neither Scotland Yard nor Downing Street would today discuss in any detail the contents of Mr Blair’s second interview.

He was accompanied at today’s Youth Sport Trust 2007 event by three key cabinet members – Education Secretary Alan Johnson, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Local Government Secretary Ruth Kelly – as well as double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.

Security was high for the visit. Police with dogs were on scene.

Prior to the visit members of the PCS union held a protest over pay and conditions for civil servants across the country.

Meanwhile, Richard Caborn, sports minister, was due to visit Telford’s Phoenix School this afternoon for the launch of a sports village and learning centre.

The Telford Sports, Learning and Enterprise Village – born out of AFC Telford’s brush with extinction – is to provide top facilities across the borough.

Picture: Tony Blair and Kelly Holmes are greeted by youngsters at Telford International Centre this afternoon.

By Becky Parkinson