Chris Pincher: Suspended MP ‘seeking medical support’ after groping claims

Also said he would ‘co-operate fully’ with inquiry into his alleged behaviour

Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip who resigned after he was accused of groping two men, has said he is seeking “professional medical support”.

In a statement, he also said he was "truly sorry" and would co-operate fully with the inquiry into his alleged behaviour at a private members’ club in London.

He dramatically resigned from his government job on Thursday night after the claims emerged.

But he remained a Conservative MP for another 24 hours until Boris Johnson finally bowed to pressure to remove the party whip.

Now sitting as an independent, Mr Pincher is battling to remain in the House of Commons in the face of opposition from those who say his position is untenable.

In a statement, he said: "I respect the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend the whip whilst an inquiry is underway, and I will co-operate fully with it.

"As I told the Prime Minister, I drank far too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others, and I am truly sorry for the upset I caused.

"The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support.

"I am in the process of seeking that now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible."

Mr Pincher was made the deputy chief whip in February, after he played a key role in attempts to save Mr Johnson’s job in the wake of the partygate scandal.

It emerged on Friday that Mr Johnson appointed Mr Pincher to the key government role despite being aware of doubts over his conduct.

Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson to set out what he knew and when about the allegations around Mr Pincher.

His former chief of staff Dominic Cummings, a critic of the prime minister, tweeted: “If (Johnson) didn’t know about Pincher as he’s claiming, why did he repeatedly refer to him laughingly in no10 as ‘pincher by name pincher by nature’ long before appointing him...”

A parliamentary probe is to look at allegations against Mr Pincher.