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A Tory councillor has been arrested on suspicion of upskirting in a branch of TK Maxx.

Gloucester councillor Lee Hawthorne, 39, was arrested on Wednesday after police released CCTV images of a man suspected of committing the offence.

Officers were called to TK Maxx, in Gloucester’s Northgate Street on Thursday June 27, following reports that an incident of upskirting had taken place.

A Conservative Party source confirmed he had been suspended.

Mr Hawthorne is among the first to be arrested since upskirting was made a specific criminal offence earlier this year.

The offence involves perpetrators using cameras to take images or video up victims' clothing without their consent to see their genitals or underwear.

It is not only confined to victims wearing skirts or dresses and equally applies when men or women are wearing kilts, cassocks shorts or trousers.

When Parliament backed a change to make upskrting a specific offence in February through the Voyeurism (Offences) (No. 2) Bill following 18 months of campaigning, Theresa May welcomed the move.

The Prime Minister tweeted: “Very pleased to see the degrading practice of upskirting become a criminal offence after the tireless work of victims and campaigners.”

Mr Hawthorne is a councillor for the Quedgeley Fieldcourt ward on Gloucester City Council.

He sits on the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee, as well as the planning committee

According to his register of interests, he is a manager at the Alzheimer’s Society and a director at Gloucester Dementia Action Alliance.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Constabulary said: "Officers arrested a 39-year-old man from Gloucester on suspicion of voyeurism on Wednesday (17 July).

"The arrest is in relation to a CCTV appeal that we issued earlier this week about an incident of up skirting which took place inside TK Maxx on Northgate Street, Gloucester on Thursday 27 June.

"The man has since been released under investigation and we would like to both reassure the public that all incidents of this nature will be taken seriously and thank those who helped with our CCTV appeal."