The row over whether Tony Blair tried to "muscle in" on the Queen Mother's lying-in-state has prompted the prime minister to issue a personal statement.

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Number 10 also issued a dossier of evidence which they hope will put an end to the row.

Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Mr Blair described the suggestion as "offensive".

And he said the public must be "bemused" by the furore as he had "1001" other things to do as prime minister.

The right-wing Spectator magazine and two newspapers are claiming victory in the row after Mr Blair withdrew a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).

The Spectator's Peter Oborne told BBC News Online that the whole story was "much ado about nothing" and suggested that Downing Street had blown it out of all proportion.

"I think they're close to becoming technically mad," he said.

'Total integrity'

Mr Blair says he only agreed to drop the complaint on the basis that the newspapers accepted he had "done nothing wrong or improper".

I had hoped to avoid an unseemly public row about this

Tony Blair

"It is clear that far from accepting that, they continue to publish these false accounts of what happened during that period," Mr Blair said in a statement.

"I had hoped to avoid an unseemly public row about this but in the light of the contrary public reports being put into the public domain, I am today publishing the evidence we submitted to the PCC.

"I believe it shows that the civil servants in Downing Street did nothing more than seek to establish what was expected of me, and that this was done, quite properly, without reference to me."

Speaking earlier to journalists, Mr Blair said: "The allegation that I tried to muscle in or hijack the Queen Mother's funeral is as offensive as it is completely and utterly untrue.

"Moreover, I've no doubt that the civil servants who handled this issue and did so without reference or discussion with me handled the matter with total integrity."

Downing Street has released a 29 page dossier detailing its version of events.

Mr Oborne continues to claim the government's story is at odds with the account contained in a memo by senior parliamentary official Sir Michael Willcocks, otherwise known as Black Rod.

Although he told BBC News Online that he had never seen the memo.

Contradicting an earlier comment he said: "I don't know it's dynamite but I understand the evidence that was put forward was sufficient for Downing Street to withdraw its complaint."

'Barmy' Campbell

The row has led to questions over the future of Mr Blair's director of communications Alastair Campbell.

Veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell has joined calls for Mr Campbell's resignation.

Mr Dalyell described as "barmy" Mr Campbell's decision to complain to the PCC.

Conservative Party chairman David Davis said the row typified Labour's approach to media relations.

'Quickest way'

The furore over the Queen Mother's funeral blew up over reports that Mr Blair's office called Black Rod, to establish whether the prime minister should walk or drive from Downing Street to Westminster Hall where the Queen Mother's body was lying-in-state.

Mr Blair has 'full confidence' in his official spokesman

Mr Blair's official spokesman said on Thursday that the idea of the prime minister walking to Westminster Hall was briefly considered within Number 10 but rejected on security grounds.

That decision was reached without consulting Black Rod, he said.

'Dynamite' memo

In the meantime a protection officer notified a detective at Westminster Hall who passed on the idea to Black Rod.

He was asked if he had any problem with Mr Blair walking through the North door of Westminster Hall.

According to the spokesman Sir Michael did not raise any objection - but this was not passed back to Number 10 as the decision had already been taken for the prime minister to go by car as this was the "easiest and quickest" way.

Mr Oborne said that his source had told him that the evidence not only proved his version of events but "went much further" and contained a "number of highly embarrassing revelations".

But he told BBC News Online he had no clue as to the precise nature of those revelations.