Last month, Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan resigned as an MP after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. Conservative MP Neil Parish also resigned after he admitted he had watched pornography in the Commons chamber.

Speaking to Sky News, foreign secretary Liz Truss said that she was “very, very concerned about the reports”, expressing that the case was clearly a “matter for the police”. “It is worrying that we are seeing these appalling accusations again about a parliamentarian,” she added.

A spokeswoman for prime minister Boris Johnson said the vast majority of MPs behaved appropriately, but added the behaviour of a minority was “not acceptable”.

In a Commons statement, speaker of the house Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he took “the safety of our staff and parliamentary community as a whole very seriously”.

Following the news, a protest organised by the Women’s Equality Party saw campaigners in hazmat suits surround Parliament to offer ‘Pestminster Control’ services and highlight the shocking number of MPs facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

A Conservative MP has been released on bail following his arrest on suspicion of rape and sexual assault