Senior UK politician arrested on suspicion of indecent assault

LONDON (REUTERS) - A deputy speaker of parliament was arrested on three counts of indecent assault on Wednesday, six weeks after he was first detained on suspicion of rape and sexual assault, police said.

Nigel Evans, 55, was arrested when he went to a police station to answer bail following his initial detention in May.

Arriving at the police station in Lancashire, the Conservative Evans told reporters he would make a statement later. After his arrest in May, Evans said the allegations were"completely false" and had been made by people he had regarded as friends.

One of parliament's three deputy speakers since 2010, Evans'role includes keeping order during often fractious debates, calling MPs to speak and enforcing the rules of the lower house of parliament.

He has been the MP for Ribble Valley in Lancashire since 1992.

Police said Evans was arrested for a second time on Wednesday after he answered police bail following his initial arrest.

"He will be interviewed about these allegations at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day," they said in a statement. "These offences are alleged to have been committed in Blackpool in Lancashire and London between 2003 and 2011."

The original rape and sexual assault allegations are said to have taken place between 2009 and 2011. No further details of the complainants have been released by Lancashire police.

Evans, who announced to a newspaper in 2010 that he was gay, was vice-chairman of the Conservative party from 1999 to 2001 and shadow Welsh Secretary for two years after that while the Conservatives were in opposition.

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