Investigation into Keith Vaz's private life suspended on medical grounds

Parliament's standards watchdog has halted an investigation into allegations about the private life of MP Keith Vaz "for medical reasons".

The former Labour minister issued a public apology to his wife and children in 2016 after press reports he paid two male escorts for their services.

He also quit as head of the Commons Home Affairs Committee.

The decision to halt the inquiry was revealed on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards' website.

No further details were given.

Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson is attempting to determine whether Mr Vaz was guilty of a conflict of interest, as he was chairman of the home affairs committee's review of vice laws at the time of the allegations regarding male escorts.

The watchdog was also looking into whether the former Europe minister has caused "significant damage" to the reputation of Parliament.

In December 2016, Scotland Yard dropped an investigation into Mr Vaz over the allegations.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen called on Mr Vaz to resign as an MP.

He tweeted: "I instigated the complaint into Keith Vaz in Sept 2016. If more than 15 months later he is not fit to be held to the standards expected of a Parliamentarian, then he's not fit enough to be a Parliamentarian and we should be expecting a by-election in Leicester East."

Mr Vaz, who has diabetes, last spoke in the House of Commons 11 days ago, when he questioned Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson about his visit to the Middle East.