Sarah Champion, the Labour MP forced to step down for speaking out about child sex grooming by the Pakistani community, is being "punished" and "used as a scapegoat" critics have warned.

Amina Lone, the co-director of the Social Action and Research Foundation, said the former Equalities shadow minister should not have been asked to leave Jeremy Corbyn's front bench team last night.

She told the BBC's Newsnight programme: "She has been punished and used as a scapegoat because as a politician she's an easy target", adding that Labour should not have forced her into silence.

Ms Lone later tweeted: "Sarah Champion was talking about a particular type of grooming which is carried by men because of their cultural/religious practices.