Chris Bryant says Daily Mail reporter informed him bets were taken on his suicide

Mr Bryant said a journalist told him in the Stranger Bar in Westminster that he 'hoped it would be by Christmas'

A Labour MP has told the House of Commons he was once told by a Daily Mail reporter that bets were being made on when he would commit suicide.

In 2003, the Mail on Sunday published pictures of MP Chris Bryant in his underwear, which he had sent to users of a dating website.

This morning he told the House of Commons: “I remember in 2003 a journalist from the Mail on Sunday coming up to me in Strangers bar saying ‘We’re all taking bets on when you will commit suicide - I hope it’ll be before Christmas’.”

Mr Bryant, later corrected his words on Twitter, saying it had in fact been a journalist from the Daily Mail.

Mr Bryant has told the story in the House of Commons before, in 2014, but added this time that he was told he “hoped it would be by Christmas.”

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom had been giving a statement on progress made in the wake of a flurry of sexual harassment allegations in Westminster. She said she was “so sorry” to hear of the incident.

Ms Leadsom said the new cross--party working group set up to deal with the issue had held its first meeting this week. A new counselling service has already been set up and will be available for all parliamentary staff from Monday.

A spokesman for the Daily Mail said: “This is not the first time Mr Bryant – who is a prominent supporter of Hacked Off and has a long history of hostility to the Mail – has peddled this scurrilous smear.

"He attempted to include it in his evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, but not only did the journalist concerned categorically deny making the remark, he denied ever having met Mr Bryant. The identity of the journalist, who left the Mail many years ago, was redacted from Mr Bryant’s evidence by the inquiry.

"It is utterly disgraceful that Mr Bryant should use Parliamentary privilege to repeat an allegation that was rejected by the Leveson Inquiry. He should withdraw it immediately.”

In a statement to the Commons, Ms Leadsom said a new system was being established to provide advice and guidance on harassment for people who work in Westminster, which both aims to prevent it and help people report it if it does occur.

Ms Leadsom said there would be further update on the issue before Christmas, describing the need to tackle sexual harassment at Westminster “a matter of urgency.”

Mr Bryant pointed out: “There are no lesbian or gay people on the working group, and that presents issues.”