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Labour MP Ivan Lewis has been suspended from the party over sexual harassment claims.

Lewis, who was International Development minister under Gordon Brown, last month denied sexually harassing a 19-year-old girl, but accepted his behaviour to female colleagues had been “unwelcome”.

He made the denial in a statement after a woman reportedly alleged he repeatedly touched her leg and invited her back to his house in 2010, when she was 19.

Lewis denied that he ever made “non consensual sexual comments or sexual advances to women”.

A woman, who has not been named, alleged to BuzzFeed News Lewis had repeatedly stroked her leg with his leg at a fundraiser in his Bury South constituency.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

She reportedly claimed that he repeatedly asked her to go back to his house, even after he declined.

Mr Lewis denied the account and it's not confirmed whether it led to Mr Lewis' suspension.

A Labour party spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes all allegations of sexual harassment extremely seriously. Ivan Lewis is currently suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.”

In 2007, while he was a health minister, Lewis apologised for “bombarding” a female aide with inappropriate text messages.

He sent the mobile phone texts to Susie Mason, 25, while she was working in his private office.

She told her bosses, who moved her to another job at her request.

No action was taken against Health Minister Mr Lewis, 41, as she made no formal complaint.

His texts commented on her looks and clothes and asked for dates. A source insisted: "It was not just one or two - there were dozens and the content was over-familiar. It must have spooked her enormously."