‘Labour Party member’ arrested in Westminster honeytrap probe released on bail

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A man understood to have been a member of the Labour Party who was arrested in connection with the Westminster “honeytrap” scandal has been released on bail.

The suspect, aged in his mid-20s, was held in Islington, north London, on Wednesday on suspicion of harassment and offences under the Online Safety Act.

The Metropolitan Police on Thursday said the man has been released until a date in late September and “the investigation remains ongoing”.

Labour reportedly suspended the party member after learning of his arrest.

A police probe began in April after it was suggested at least 12 men with links to Westminster had received unsolicited messages.

An unknown scammer is said to have used the aliases “Charlie” and “Abi” while sending flirtatious messages to attempt to coax MPs and other figures in political circles into sending explicit pictures.

Then-senior Conservative MP William Wragg resigned the party whip after he admitted giving politicians’ phone numbers to a suspected scammer.

Fellow Tory Dr Luke Evans called for a full review of Parliament’s system of investigating incidents reported by MPs after he was also targeted.

Mr Wragg admitted he gave colleagues’ phone numbers to someone on a dating app amid fears intimate images of himself would be leaked.

The Hazel Grove MP said he was sorry for his “weakness” in responding, and resigned from his role leading the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee, and chose to surrender the Conservative whip.

A Met spokesperson said: “On Wednesday June 26, police executed a warrant at an address in Islington.

“A man was arrested on suspicion of harassment and committing offences under the Online Safety Act. He was taken into custody and has since been bailed until a date in late September.

“The arrest relates to an investigation being carried out by the Met’s Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team following reports of unsolicited messages sent to MPs and others.

“The investigation remains ongoing.”