Nigel Evans, was arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault on two men

The Deputy Speaker of the House of
Commons was arrested yesterday over allegations of rape and sexual
assault relating to two men.

Nigel
Evans was taken to a police station in Lancashire, where he is
Conservative MP for Ribble Valley, and questioned over offences dating
from 2009 to March this year.

Forensic teams were searching his two homes in London and Pendleton, Lancashire, as part of their inquiries.

Yesterday afternoon, they could be seen examining his white Saab convertible, which was parked near his constituency home.

By last night, no charges had been made against Mr Evans, who came out as gay in a 2010 article for The Mail on Sunday.

This
is the latest, and potentially most explosive, in a series of
high-profile arrests over allegations of a sexual nature, some of which
go back more than 40 years.

There have been wild rumours about the involvement of politicians – but until now, none has been arrested.

The
arrest of the Deputy Speaker, one of the most prestigious public
positions in Britain, brings the matter right to the heart of the
Establishment.

Allegations
against Mr Evans, 55, concern incidents that are said to have taken
place from 2009 right up to a few weeks ago, spanning the entire period
during which he has officiated over Commons debates in the famous
Speaker’s chair.

They are understood to relate to two men in their 20s.

Both Speaker John Bercow and David Cameron have been told of the arrest. Mr Bercow said: ‘It’s been a total shock.

'Nigel is a popular and well-liked character. No one can quite believe what’s happened.’

A
spokeswoman for Lancashire police told this newspaper yesterday: ‘A
55-year-old man from Pendleton in Lancashire has today been arrested by
Lancashire Constabulary on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.

'The
man will be interviewed at a police station in Lancashire during the
course of the day. The offences are alleged to have been committed in
Pendleton between July 2009 and March 2013.

Arrested: Nigel Evans is pictured with David Cameron, who has been informed about the claims

Quizzed: Mr Evans is pictured posing with two dancers

Going home: Nigel Evans was last night driven from Preston police station after questioning by detectives

We take all allegations of a sexual
nature extremely seriously and understand how difficult it can be for
victims to have the confidence to come forward.

‘As
a constabulary, we are committed to investigating sexual offences
sensitively but robustly, recognising the impact that these types of
crimes have on victims.

‘We
would encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, or who has
information about it, to have the confidence to report it to us knowing
that we will take it seriously, deal with it sensitively and investigate
it thoroughly.’

Thorough: Officers search the MP's white Saab convertible parked in his home village of Pendleton in Lancashire

Quaint: This image shows Mr Evans' village in Pendleton. His white Saab is pictured to the left of the stream in the distance

Inquiries: Police enter Mr Evans' house looking for evidence

She added: ‘Following the arrest, police
can confirm they are searching addresses in Pendleton and  London in
connection with the  investigation. The offences relate to two men.’

A Commons spokesman said: ‘This is a matter for the police and we will not be making any comment.’

Swansea-born Mr Evans, who worked in his family supermarket business before entering politics, has been a Tory MP since 1992.

He
held a series of senior posts and was Parliamentary Private Secretary
to William Hague in 1996, when Hague was in the Cabinet as Secretary of
State for Wales.

In June 2010, he was elected as one of
Mr Bercow’s three deputies,  bringing his total parliamentary salary to
£102,000 a year. He has been tipped as a possible successor to the
Speaker’s job.

Tory loyalist
Mr Evans is a strong supporter of Mr Cameron. Just two weeks ago, they
both took part in a photo-call to promote a campaign led by Microsoft
billionaire Bill Gates to eradicate polio.

In
July 2010, Mr Evans chose to come out as gay in a candid article in The
Mail on Sunday.

He timed it to mark the launch of a group set up to
help MPs and parliamentary staff be open about their sexuality.

Mr
Evans said he was ‘tired of living a lie’ and had, in the past,
received threats of blackmail from political enemies threatening to
expose him.

He said: ‘The MP was saying to anyone
who would listen, “Why is it that Nigel Evans leads a life whereby he is
gay to some people and not others?”’

On patrol: Uniformed Lancashire Police officers maintain their presence in the village

Mr Evans refused to name the
Labour politician, but added: ‘I could not afford it to be used as
leverage against me. I couldn’t take the risk. I don’t want any other MP
to face that kind of nastiness again.

‘I
am sure there are other gay MPs who would like to be open about their
sexuality but are fearful of the consequences. I hope this new group
will help them to do so.’

Mr Evans’s decision to come out was
partly as a result of a chance conversation with a friend, the actress
Vicky Entwistle, who played Janice Battersby in Coronation Street and
who lives in Mr Evans’s Ribble Valley constituency.

Making a stand: Mr Evans, left, is pictured with Speaker John Bercow, right, at last year's Gay Pride march