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Bloomberg, the financial news agency that reported Cherie Blair's accusation that chancellor Gordon Brown was lying about his relationship with the prime minister, is standing by its story in the face of denials from Downing Street.

The US based news agency said it would not retract its report that Mrs Blair had said "well, that's a lie" as she walked past a TV monitor showing live transmission of Mr Brown's speech at yesterday's Labour party conference in Manchester.

"We stand by our reporting. The story speaks for itself," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Carolin Lotter, the Bloomberg TV producer who overheard the comments and relayed them to the agency's political reporter, gave a detailed account of how she overheard Mrs Blair.

"She was walking through the exhibition centre where the screens are all showing the chancellor's speech," Lotter said.

"Everybody was watching, everybody could listen to it. She was just walking past one of the screens when I heard her say, 'well, that's a lie.' I had to step out of her way or she would have run me down. She made the comment to no one in particular."

Yesterday Bloomberg quickly corrected its first report that stated that Mrs Blair left the auditorium during Mr Brown's speech.

It then reported that Mrs Blair was overheard when she walked through a display area outside the main hall and past television monitors relaying Mr Brown's speech live.

As the chancellor praised the strength of his relationship with Tony Blair, the prime minister's wife reportedly commented: "Well, that's a lie."

Downing Street issued a strong denial, insisting that none of the four people present with Mrs Blair had heard her say anything.

Mrs Blair later personally denied the story as she left the main conference hotel, the Radisson Edwardian, at about 7.15pm last night.

As she walked out of the hotel, Mrs Blair strode past waiting TV cameras and reporters, paused for a moment and said: "Honestly, guys, I hate to spoil your story, but I didn't say it and I don't believe it either."

Bloomberg today refused to comment and advised MediaGuardian.co.uk to "wait 90 minutes" until its spokeswoman in New York was available.

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