By politics.co.uk staff

Nick Clegg warned David Cameron about Andy Coulson before and after the election, he has confirmed.

The comments come amid continued questions about Mr Cameron's judgement, following reports that he hired Mr Coulson despite warnings about the phone-hacking scandal.

"Our anxieties as a party about phone-hacking and Coulson so on – we made them publically before the election," Mr Clegg told the Andrew Marr programme.

"Of course it was raised [after the general election], because this is an issue we addressed publically before the election."

The deputy prime minister distanced himself from the decision to make Mr Coulson head of communications in Downing Street.

"The prime minister has explained why he gave Andy Coulson what he says was 'a second chance'," he said.

"It was his decision, his appointment alone. I can't add anything more to what he has said."

Mr Cameron has struggled to explain why he kept Mr Coulson as his communications chief despite ongoing allegations of phone-hacking and then elevated him to Downing Street communications boss after the election.

The Guardian newspaper has stated that it passed on information about Mr Coulson to Mr Cameron's senior adviser, Steve Hilton, and his head of staff, Ed Llewellyn.

Mr Cameron insisted he never received the messages.