A former Labour MP has been arrested in Brighton on Saturday on suspicion of a child sex offence.
Social media footage emerged of Ivor Caplin, 66, being handcuffed by the police after a sting by paedophile hunters.
Caplin, the former Labour MP for Hove who was a defence minister under Tony Blair, was suspended from the party in June 2024 because of undisclosed “serious allegations”, which he denies.
“We are aware of footage circulating on social media showing a man in Brighton being detained on suspicion of engaging in online sexual communications with a child,” said the force.
“Officers can confirm that a local 66-year-old man was arrested on Saturday January 11 and currently remains in custody.”
A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “This is an ongoing and active investigation.”
It is understood that Caplin denies any wrongdoing.
Video footage of the sting operation was livestreamed on Facebook for 30 minutes, amassing more than 80,000 views and over 4,000 comments.
Caplin, who was first elected as MP for Hove in 1997, represented the constituency until 2005.
Active in community politics, Caplin was JLM chair in 2018 during the Corbyn years.