Italian investigators are claiming the husband of UK culture secretary Tessa Jowell hid boxes of documents in the Isle of Man, evading an order from the Serious Fraud Office to hand them over.

A report into the case says David Mills (pictured, left) shipped boxes of files here to thwart a criminal investigation into his client, former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi (pictured, right).

The report was prepared by prosecutors in Milan who allege Mills used an offshore company called Edsaco to take incriminating documents out of the UK.

Edsaco, registered in Athol Street, ceased trading in November 1999.

Mills is accused of helping Berlusconi evade tax and taking a ?350,000 bribe for giving favourable evidence during Berlusconi’s trial.

Next month he’ll stand trial in Italy alongside Berlusconi over an alleged ?41m tax fraud. Both deny wrongdoing.