Boris Johnson's lawyers confident of cancelling court judgement

Boris Johnson's lawyers are "confident" of winning their application to cancel a county-court judgement against the prime minister, Downing Street says.

The court order was registered against Mr Johnson over an unpaid debt of £535, official records show.

No details of the creditor or nature of the debt were included in the online record of the CCJ, which appeared to have taken No 10 by surprise.

But it has now emerged the case relates to defamation allegations.

The official records show an "unsatisfied record" for the unpaid debt was registered to Mr Johnson at "10 Downing Street", with the judgement dated 26 October last year.

But a No 10 spokesman said it was a "vexatious and spurious" claim that they were fighting to get struck off.

'Without merit'

An additional file shows the claim, for "defamation" and "committed repeated defamation", was made by an Yvonne Hobbs against "The Rt Hon Boris Johnson".

It is not clear how the case led to a CCJ being issued, as defamation cases are normally heard in the High Court.

But the CCJ was issued by the online civil-claims court, which used to be known as the small claims court.

CCJs are issued in England and Wales when people fail to repay money they owe.

"If you get a judgement, this means that the court has formally decided that you owe the money," according to a government website.

It is likely letters about the alleged debt were sent to 10 Downing Street and not answered, and therefore no defence offered, which would eventually have led to a CCJ being issued by default.

"An application will be made for an order to set aside the default judgement, to strike out the claim and for a declaration that the claim is totally without merit," Downing Street said in a statement.