The woman who is reportedly having an affair with David Blunkett has threatened to take legal action against newspapers which intruded into her privacy.

Kimberly Fortier, the publisher of the Spectator magazine, refused to comment on tabloid claims that she had been conducting a three-year relationship with the home secretary.

In a statement issued on behalf of Fortier and her husband, Stephen Quinn, the publisher of Vogue, she said she had nothing to say about the "recent speculation in the media about her private life".

The statement added: "She asks the media to respect the privacy of herself, her immediate family and her extended family and will not hesitate to take action in respect of intrusive media coverage of her private life."

The Sun and the Mirror claim today that she is five months pregnant.