MP Julian Knight will face no criminal charges

MP Julian Knight has been told by police he will face no criminal action following an investigation into allegations of serious sexual assault made against him.

Essex Police said it had carried out "thorough enquiries" and the allegations did not meet the test for bringing charges.

The independent MP for Solihull came forward voluntarily to be interviewed.

Mr Knight denied wrongdoing and told the BBC he was pleased at the outcome.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Knight said he would be taking time to consider his next steps and recover his mental health.

He added he had made his own complaint to the Metropolitan Police, relating to fraud, forgery and perverting the course of justice, and was exploring his legal options.

Sources close to the MP said he was considering whether to take action against both the government and other parties, for defamation and breach of privacy relating to him being named during the investigation.

Mr Knight was elected as a Conservative MP in 2015, but lost the party whip in Parliament when the allegations against him were first reported to the Met Police in December 2022.

The Met later shelved its investigation and referred it on to the Essex force.

In his statement, Mr Knight said: "I reiterate that under no circumstances will I be seeking the Conservative whip back."

A former chairman of the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, he has previously said he will stand down at the next general election.