Watch: SNP MP who locked himself in the toilet was 'practising his roar'

Angus MacNeil found himself in wrong voting lobby as MPs voted on EU Referendum Bill, so he went to gents to avoid humiliation of backing the vote

Angus MacNeil shows off his roar to the House (BBC)

An SNP who locked himself in the toilet to avoid voting in favour of the EU referendum - something he is opposed to - was just "practising his roar," his colleague has helpfully revealed.

Angus MacNeil found himself in the wrong voting lobby as MPs registered their say on the referendum on Tuesday - claiming he was "distracted" - so he went to the gents instead of facing the humiliation of backing the in-out vote on Britain's membership of the EU.

His colleague Pete Wishart told the House of Commons today that Mr MacNeil was "merely practising his roar in the bathroom". "And a very impressive it is too," he added, prompting Mr MacNeil to show his roar to the House, along with a bizarre fist pump.

Mr MacNeil's confusion meant he could not register his opposition to the government's EU referendum, which was overwhelmingly backed by MPs by 544 to 53.

Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop explained that when he and his colleagues discovered him in the toilet, they were worried he was ill, before realising what he was up to and proceeded to mock him on Twitter.

“We were knocking on the door to check if he was OK," Mr Blenkinsop said. "He hung on in there for as long as he could. We eventually took pity on him and let him leave.”