A director of Brighton and Hove Albion whose meeting with John Prescott four years ago is causing a political storm has spoken exclusively to The Argus.

The Deputy Prime Minister is facing fresh calls to resign after being accused of a conflict of interest over his visit to Portslade construction firm Adenstar in 2002 when he opened new offices and presented awards.

Adenstar's managing director Derek Chapman is an Albion director and his firm is now in the running to build the £50 million stadium at Falmer, for which Mr Prescott granted planning permission last October.

The issue was brought to light by Lewes's anti-stadium MP Norman Baker. He claims Mr Prescott may have used his ministerial position to grant stadium planning permission for "someone he knew" and has included the issue in a dossier of complaints to the Metropolitan Police about the Mr Prescott.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus, Mr Chapman, 42, accused Mr Baker of harmful and unfounded innuendo.

He said: "Mr Baker seems to be implying that either I or Mr Prescott has acted improperly.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts are that the visit to my offices took place on May 13, 2002, to recognise my company and the role we play in training staff.

"At no time during the course of his visit did I discuss the football club or, specifically, was there any discussion about the stadium.

"At that stage the planning application submitted by the football club had not even been considered by Brighton and Hove City Council.

"They discussed it on June 12, 2002, and were minded to grant planning permission. The decision to call in the application for determination by John Prescott was issued on August 9, 2002 - three months after Mr Prescott's visit to my office.

"Mr Baker has raised this issue before and in her parliamentary answer to his written question, Yvette Cooper confirmed that Mr Prescott did not even know I was a director of the football club until December 2003 - 18 months later.

"So why is he making these disgraceful allegations about one of his constituents?

"He is jumping on the bandwagon to try to discredit Mr Prescott and at the same time attempting to discredit the exhaustive planning process that the club has gone through to obtain permission.

"In the process he is besmirching my reputation which I deeply resent.

"I call on him to publicly withdraw his claims which are totally without foundation."

Mr Baker said: "I make no allegations about Mr Chapman's propriety. I have made a complaint to the police about Mr Prescott's general conduct which includes ... this matter."