SCOTLAND YARD apologised to the Lords Speaker today after the “inadvertent revealing of information into allegations of misconduct in public office.”

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean held a meeting with the Metropolitan Police following incorrect press reports that he had passed information to the force ahead of Lord Peter Mandelson’s arrest on Monday.

The former ambassador to Washington has been accused of passing on sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. 

He was detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has been freed on bail until May.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle received an apology on Wednesday from the Met for “inadvertently revealing information during an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office.”

He told MPs that he had passed information to the force about Lord Mandelson “in good faith” and it was “regrettable this rapidly ended in the media.”