ONE of Ruth Kelly's closest political allies has come to her defence.

The leader of Bolton's Labour group on Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, defended the Education Secretary as she came under increasing pressure to quit over the row about sex offenders being allowed to work in schools.

Cllr Morris said the Bolton West MP was "hugely able" and she had his full support.

He said he had told Ms Kelly as much in a phone call recently when the issue first emerged.

Cllr Morris, who attended her wedding to Derek Gadd in 1996, said: "She should hold on to her job. If there is a loophole that has allowed offenders to work in schools, she should close it quickly.

"In fact, if anyone can close such a loophole it would be Ruth because she is very talented."

Cllr Morris and Ms Kelly, a 37-year-old mother-of-four, have been friends for more than 10 years.

Ms Kelly, who was born in Limavady, Northern Ireland, used to stay at Cllr Morriss home in Bolton when she was preparing for the 1997 General Election battle.

"She stayed with us for a while and we looked after her before the election was called," said Cllr Morris, who is chairman of the constituency Labour Party in Westhoughton.

"She was out all day working, would come back and wed cook for her.

"Ruth has a good sense of humour, is a good living girl and very pleasant to be with. She is a good conversationalist.

"When the election was called, she decided to rent a house on Heaton Road, Lostock.

"She had been flying up here and coming up on the train from London so it made sense to have her own place because her husband and family came too."

Ms Kelly was educated at the exclusive Westminster College, earned a degree from Queens College, Oxford, before gaining a masters degree in economics from the London School of Economics.

From 1990 to 1994, she wrote about economics for The Guardian newspaper but left for the Bank of England where she worked until entering Parliament three years later.