Home Secretary James Cleverly has apologised in the Commons for using "inappropriate language" against a Labour MP, but denied he called Stockton a "s***hole".

Cleverly was accused of making the remark after Alex Cunningham, the Labour MP for Stockton North, challenged Rishi Sunak over the level of child poverty in his constituency at Prime Minister's Questions last Wednesday. An ally of Mr Cleverly said he called the MP "s***", rather than his off-the-cuff remark being directed towards the County Durham town.

The Home Secretary told MPs: "I know what I said. I rejected the accusation that I criticised his constituency.

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"My criticism, which I made from a sedentary position, about the honourable gentleman used inappropriate language for which I apologise. But I will not accept that my criticism was of his constituency because it was not."

The apology on Monday sparked a further row in the Commons as some opposition MPs question Mr Cleverly's version of events. But deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing said she considered the matter closed.

Alex Cunningham earlier said, after raising a point of order: "It’s extremely sad that the Home Secretary hasn’t the guts to admit to his appalling remark about my Stockton North constituency from the frontbench and apologise to the people I have the privilege of representing."

Mr Cunningham recalled the events of last Wednesday before saying the Home Secretary tried to: "minimise the damage to his reputation by claiming his remark was aimed at me." He added: "It’s untrue and has been shown to be untrue."

The deputy speaker intervened to advise the Stockton North MP to use another word instead of "untrue", with the Labour MP replying: "You offer me a considerable challenge but perhaps the Home Secretary has inadvertently misled people across the country in relation to this particular matter." He accused Mr Cleverly of "talking down" Stockton and Teesside and urged the Tory frontbencher to apologise for: "insulting Stockton rather than hide behind the half truths uttered on his behalf."

Mr Cleverly replied: "For the avoidance of doubt the honourable gentleman accused me of making derogatory remarks about his constituency and my response issued through my office was that I did not, would not and would never make such comments about his constituency. What I said was a comment about him.

"My apology was for using unparliamentary language. But I will make it absolutely clear, for the avoidance of doubt, with no ambiguity, I did not, would not…”

An opposition MP shouted, "you did", to which Mr Cleverly replied: "Then what are you calling me, Sir?"

At this point, Mr Cleverly then said: "I know what I said", before reiterating that he rejected the accusation that he criticised Mr Cunningham's constituency. Mr Cleverly was challenged again from the Labour benches, but the deputy speaker said: "This is not a debate and the matter is now closed."

Mr Cunningham, raising a further point of order, said: "I don’t actually require any apology for an insult against me because it didn’t happen. He has not apologised to me, he’s not apologised to the people of my constituency, he has apologised for using unparliamentary language."

The deputy speaker concluded: "(Mr Cleverly) has issued an apology. I require an apology for the use of unparliamentary language and the Home Secretary has given that apology.

"It is my understanding that he has also apologised to (Mr Cunningham) – whether he accepts it or not is a matter for him. I require an apology, the Home Secretary has issued that apology and the matter is now closed.

“I must say the people who elected us to this place expect us to concentrate on the very serious matters that we have been discussing and we’re going on to discuss."