The riddle over Tony Blair’s controversial winter vacation deepened yesterday as Downing Street tried to fight off accusations that the Prime Minister had accepted a free holiday at the palatial Miami home of the pop star Robin Gibb.

The latest Blair family holiday rumpus descended into near-farce as Downing Street and the former Bee Gees star’s wife, Dwina, gave very different accounts of who was paying for the holiday.

Downing Street insisted that the Blairs were paying their way, while Mrs Gibb, a bisexual Druid priestess from Northern Ireland, undermined their defence by insisting that no money was changing hands. “It’s a friendly arrangement,” she told one newspaper.

The mystery intensified further as Downing Street hinted that Mrs Gibb didn’t know what she was talking about, and that a “private commercial agreement” had in fact been made with Mr Gibb’s manager, John Campbell.

Downing Street insisted that the Blairs would pay the Gibbs for the accommodation at the ten-bedroom mansion, adding that the Gibbs would in turn pay it to a charity of their choice. “The Blairs have made a private agreement and they are paying for their accommodation,” a spokesman said.

Mystery lingered as Downing Street refused to reveal how much Mr Blair paid, or the charity that the money would be given to. Yolande Citro, a local estate agent, said that the cost of renting the house could be as much as £25,000 for a week. “This is one of the most beautiful roads in Miami Beach. You have incredible, wide views of the bay and of the sunset.”

Mr Blair’s predilection for staying at the homes of the rich and glamorous has turned his holidays into an annual set-piece controversy. But this holiday promises to be more colourful than most. The villa, built in 1948, has become famous as a venue for decadent parties. Mr Gibb has described his marriage as “totally open. We like to cruise and we like to watch.”

Yesterday, however, the Blairs’ holiday was decidedly more down to earth. Accompanied by his family, the Prime Minister went to a diner and enjoyed a Caesar salad. With secret service minders outside, Mr Blair signed a few autographs and posed for snaps.

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