Accuser comes forward claiming Cyril Smith 'sexually assaulted him in Houses of Parliament' as other politicians walked past

Questions have been asked already about how Smith managed to evade justice despite allegations from eight different individuals that matched up (Rex Features)

An alleged victim of the late Liberal MP, Cyril Smith - who has been accused of sexually abusing boys in his home town of Rochdale - has told the Guardian newspaper that he was assaulted by the MP in the Houses of Parliament as other politicians walked by, unaware of what was happening.

The man, who says he was 17 at the time the assault took place, says the incident followed 18 months of grooming by the MP.

The revelations came as former Liberal leader Lord Steel said he had heard rumours about Smith carrying out corporal punishment on boys, but said the party did not investigate the claims.

Lord Steel told the Guardian he had received no 'substantive complaints' regarding the MP.

The newest allegations are the first that claim Smith abused someone outside of his constituency.

Earlier this week prosecutors and police said Smith should have been charged with a string of indecent assaults in the late 1960s.

Greater Manchester Police said this week: “It has taken some time for the exact details to be confirmed due to the passage of time since the original allegations were made in the late 1960s.

The force is now publicly acknowledging that young boys were victims of physical and sexual abuse committed by Smith.”

Questions have been asked already about how Smith managed to evade justice despite allegations from eight different individuals that matched up.

The Guardian confirmed that the victim in the latest allegations, who has not been named, was a Liberal activist at the time Smith was an MP.

The alleged victim claims he was subjected to 18 months of progressively more intrusive assaults, which culminated in the incident in the Houses of Parliament.

The man also claims he was offered the inducement of a future political career.

Earlier this week both GMP and the Crown Prosecution Service said if Smith had been accused today over Cambridge House then he would be charged and prosecuted over allegations he had spanked young boys.

It is understood that when Lancashire Police quizzed Smith, who died two years ago aged 82, he told them he was in charge of the boys and was entitled to hand out corporal punishment.