Boris Johnson WAS 'intimate' with Jennifer Arcuri but Prime Minister ESCAPES criminal investigation over claims he gave his 'mistress' special treatment when he was London mayor

• Independent Office of Police Conduct has been probing claims for eight months
• Today it was confirmed there will be no criminal investigation into allegations
• But review established there 'may have been intimate relationship' between pair
• PM is said to have favoured Ms Arcuri while they were allegedly having an affair
• She received £126,000 in public money and accompanied him on trade trips

Boris Johnson will not face criminal investigation over claims he gave his alleged 'mistress' Jennifer Arcuri special treatment when he was London mayor, a police watchdog confirms - but the report does find evidence of an intimate relationship.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Thursday that it would not be launching a probe into the Prime Minister following claims of misconduct in public office, which he denies.

But the London Assembly said it will resume its own investigation into allegations that Ms Arcuri received thousands of pounds in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade trips led by Mr Johnson when he headed City Hall.

Neither the PM nor Ms Arcuri have denied that they were involved in an affair. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Thursday that it would not be launching a probe into the Prime Minister following claims of misconduct in public office, which he denies (pictured: Boris Johnson and Jennifer Arcuri in 2014)

A review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship'.

IOPC Director General Michael Lockwood said: 'While there was no evidence that Mr Johnson influenced the payment of sponsorship monies or participation in trade missions, there was evidence to suggest that those officers making decisions about sponsorship monies and attendance on trade missions thought that there was a close relationship between Mr Johnson and Ms Arcuri, and this influenced their decision-making.' 

The allegations were referred to the IOPC in September because the watchdog has a remit over the City Hall role, as head of the mayor's office for policing and crime.  

The IOPC stated: 'The Independent Office for Police Conduct today informed the Right Honourable Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority (GLA) that it will not be conducting a criminal investigation into allegations that Mr Johnson used his position while Mayor of London to benefit and reward American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri.

'The IOPC's Operation Lansdowne review found no evidence indicating Mr Johnson influenced the payment of any sponsorship monies to Ms Arcuri or that he influenced or played an active part in securing her participation in trade missions.'

But the London Assembly said it would resume its own investigation, which it paused at the request of the police watchdog.

Len Duvall, chairman of the Greater London Authority's oversight committee, said: 'The IOPC was looking specifically at whether he committed a criminal offence.

'That's not our remit and their decision doesn't have any real bearing on our investigation, which will focus on his conduct as mayor of London.'

The Labour assembly member added: 'Everyone who holds public office, whether you're the mayor of London, or indeed the Prime Minister, is expected to adhere to the principles of public life - including integrity, selflessness, openness and honesty, to name a few.

'Our investigation will consider whether Boris Johnson conducted himself in a way that's expected from anyone in that position.' 

A review established there was a 'close association' between the pair and there 'may have been an intimate relationship' between Ms Arcuri (left) and Mr Johnson (right, outside No10 today) 

Ms Arcuri, 35, has admitted hosting the thrice-married 55-year-old at her flat in Shoreditch, east London, which featured a nightclub dancing pole, but has repeatedly refused to answer questions about sex. 

At the time Mr Johnson was married to barrister Marine Wheeler, the mother of four of his children, although Ms Arcuri said the visits stopped after he became Foreign Secretary. 

The couple later divorced and the Tory leader's 32-year-old fiancee, Carrie Symonds, recently gave birth to their baby boy, Wilfred. 

Ms Arcuri insists she and Mr Johnson 'did nothing wrong' and has previously said: 'I had every right to be on those trips as a legitimate businesswoman and stand by everything that happened because these allegations are completely false.' 

Ms Arcuri accompanied Mr Johnson on three official trade missions despite not qualifying as a delegate and her companies received £126,000 in public money. At the time they were allegedly having a four-year affair which he failed to declare.

The IOPC began an investigation on the basis that Mr Johnson was the equivalent of London's police and crime commissioner at the time and Ms Arcuri agreed to give evidence 'to clear the matter up'. 

Mr Johnson has refused to answer questions about what happened but claims he acted with 'full propriety' and had 'no interest to declare'. He is also facing a standards investigation by the London Assembly's oversight committee. 

Ms Arcuri spoke about her 'very special' relationship with Mr Johnson in an astonishing series of TV appearances last year. 

Ms Arcuri swerved queries about her relationship with Mr Johnson, telling GMB hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid in December last year that she did not want to 'be pressured into admitting' to anything about her links to the Prime Minister. 

Later, speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Ms Arcuri insisted Mr Johnson did not do her any 'favours' but said she wished he had declared her as an interest if it could have 'saved me this entire embarrassment and humiliation'.

She said: 'I would love an apology for acknowledging the fact that given all those years, you know, that I was on the ground, hustling and working as a student. I mean he saw my arc, he saw my progression as a young woman, graduating and becoming, you know, a mature entrepreneur.'

She also accused the Prime Minister of feeding her to the wolves. Asked if Mr Johnson 'had bigger fish to fry', she said: 'That's what you tell somebody when you meet them for the night, you don't know them, you haven't spent the hours with them, the investment into another person.

'And the fact that I'm called out, just on GMB, because 'why I am here if I'm not here to admit the affair?'

'Well wait a minute I'm not allowed to be upset because somebody that was very much a part of my life, who knew what I stood for, the calibre and integrity and merit that I work at. I mean all these things he knew and he sat back, why?

'He didn't have to ignore me, it could have been a 30-second phone call, just to let me know that he's acknowledging the fact that he, while he gets to be prime minister gets to feed me to the wolves - and I find that really disturbing.'  

Ms Arcuri with Mr Johnson on a double-decker bus in 2012, when he was Mayor of London