A RAPE allegation levelled against ex-East Lancashire politician Simon Danczuk has been dismissed by the former MP.

The ex-Blackburn with Darwen councillor, who grew up in Hapton, is facing a claim he carried out the sex attack in Westminster last May.

But Mr Danczuk, who this week resigned as a Labour Party member to contest his old Rochdale seat as an Independent, has strongly denied the accusation.

He told a national newspaper: “The Metropolitan Police have not been in touch with me about this.

“It is a totally false allegation and I look forward to the police clearing it up.”

Mr Danczuk has described the timing of the allegation as 'deeply suspicious' as nominations close shortly for the General Election on June 8.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “On Monday officers from Greater Manchester Police referred an allegation of rape to the Metropolitan Police.

“A woman has alleged that she was raped by a man in his 50s.

"The incident is alleged to have occurred in May 2016 at a location in Westminster.

“Detectives from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command have been notified and will investigate.

"No arrests have been made and enquires continue.”

Mr Danczuk was suspended by the Parliamentary Labour Party in December 2015, pending an investigation into misconduct allegations but continued to serve as an Independent MP.

He was stood down after allegations were made he had sent explicit texts to a 17-year-old who had applied to work in his office.

Mr Danczuk, who also worked for former Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, resigned from the party on Monday after he was barred from standing for Labour in Rochdale, a seat he had held since winning it from the Liberal Democrats in 2010.

Ex-Greater Manchester police and crime commissioner, and former Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd, will contest Rochdale for Labour.

Earlier this week Mr Danczuk placed a copy of his resignation letter from the Labour Party on social media, and a picture of his torn-up registration card.

In the letter he criticised the current leadership’s 'obsession' with Marxism and claimed the party had lost touch with the 'social democratic values' of 21st Century Britain.