Government sources deny BP has sought help from the Prime Minister But Whitehall officials are believed to have held talks with BP executives BP has asked the Government to help it battle a wave of "fictitious" claims for billions in compensation over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The oil giant says lawyers are encouraging Gulf Coast businesses to make spurious claims just to earn a commission. BP has set aside £28billion to cover the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010, which killed 11 workers and spilled an estimated 4million barrels of oil into the sea. Disaster: The explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig, pictured, which killed 11 workers and spilled an estimated 4million barrels of oil into the sea, has led to billions in payouts from BP It initially earmarked £5.2billion to compensate local businesses who were hit in the pocket, but it now expects the total to be much higher. There are fears the final compensation bill could even put the company's future at risk. A surge in claims has been aided by US lawyers seeking out claimants to make a commission, oil industry sources believe. BP also argues that the administrator of the claims, Louisiana lawyer Patrick Juneau, has been far too generous to businesses. Earlier this year, BP asked the judge to impose a temporary freeze on compensation demands. SOS: Reports have claimed that BP is seeking the help of David Cameron to avoid a slew of compensation claims which, it is feared, could put the future of the entire company at risk It offered examples of firms that have lodged claims despite being based miles away from affected areas. In one, a North Alabama construction company received £6.38million after putting in claims for lost income - despite not doing any work in the region. The company also disagrees with the methodology used to calculate how much businesses have lost. The oil giant told the judge that it could be "irreparably harmed" by such "fictitious" and "absurd" claims. Appeal: But David Cameron did not raise the issue of BP's troubles during his recent meeting with Barack Obama. An industry insider said it was unlikely the government could achieve much lobbying the White House BP declined to comment yesterday, while a spokesman for Number 10 said only that the Prime Minister had held no conversations with the company. Among the most outrageous was a restaurant worker in Louisiana who asked for £3.4million in lost income, even though his earnings before the spill were just £12,000. A Northern Alabama construction company received £6.38million after putting in claims for lost income - despite not doing any work in the region. A shrimp boat worker in Louisiana who earned £58,000 before the spill filed a compensation claim for £1.8million. Other outrageous claims included strippers in New Orleans who claimed for loss in income when business dropped off at the clubs where they worked. Jean Mari Lindor received £2million, but was later arrested after his claims were investigated and found to be bogus. He had claimed he was a farm worker and had his work hours reduced due to the drop off in business as a result of the spill, and faces up to 20 years in jail when he is sentenced in July. But Whitehall officials are believed to have held informal talks with BP executives. One industry insider said it was unlikely that the government could achieve much by lobbying the White House on BP's behalf. "There's not a lot that even Obama can do to intervene in the U.S. legal process," he said. The huge cost of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has already left BP a shadow of its former self. It has sold off £25billion of assets to help pay for the clean-up of the Gulf and to cover compensation claims. The firm also lost its chief executive, as Slough-born Tony Hayward was forced out after making a series of high-profile gaffes that enraged Americans. He told reporters "I would like my life back," prompting fury from those affected by the spill, and was later spotted enjoying himself at a yacht race around the Isle of Wight. BP's efforts to win government backing come at an unfortunate time, after it was named alongside Shell in a European Commission probe into oil price fixing. David Cameron said he was "hugely concerned" by the probe, which will examine allegations that oil traders manipulated petrol prices, driving up prices at the pump for millions of motorists.