RIBBLE Valley MP candidate Nigel Evans has dismissed a fresh sex probe involving a 28-year-old man in London after prosecutors ruled there were "inconsistencies" in his accuser's account.

Mr Evans has insisted that the unnamed man's claims "do not stack up" and supported a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in April, not to pursue further court proceedings.

But the accuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has exercised his right to have the CPS ruling, on the October 2014 allegation, reviewed by a second prosecutor.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Mr Evans said he believes he is the victim of "dirty politics" after being originally told last month that the investigation would not be proceeding because of "inconsistencies" in the man's claims.

Mr Evans, 59, added: "None of these claims stack up and the investigation has rightly been chucked out."

A national newspaper has reported that the man contacted police to make the claims last August, after the MP was pictured with Sir Cliff Richard and the DJ Paul Gambaccini. The trio were campaigning against the making of false sex allegations at the time.

The accuser said the offence occurred at the former Commons Deputy Speaker's Westminster flat.

Mr Evans, who has represented his East Lancashire constituency since 1992, is understood to have been questioned about the matter by detectives as part of a four-month inquiry and a file was sent to the CPS before Christmas, before the case was rejected.

In April 2014 the MP was cleared by crown court jury of indecently assaulting six men and raping a 22-year-old man after a party. Mr Evans' lawyers argued that sex with the latter had been consensual.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman told a national newspaper, in relation to the inquiry: "We were passed a file in relation to a sexual offence allegedly committed by a 59-year-old man.

"It was decided no further action should be taken. That decision is now subject to a victim's right to review."