Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is accused of raping woman inside Parliament

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is to be interviewed by police over the alleged rape of a woman inside the Houses of Parliament. 

The disgraced former MP, 63, has been accused of attacking the female in the DUP offices in Westminster in 2016. 

It is claimed he tried to kiss her and put his hand up her skirt after attempting to get her to drink vodka shots.

The woman has already been interviewed by Police Service of Northern Ireland officers, reports the BBC, and her allegations have been shared with Scotland Yard. 

The Met Police has confirmed it is investigating a 63-year-old man over the alleged rape. 

The force said: 'On Tuesday 13 October, the Met received a report referred to us by the Police Service of Northern Ireland relating to an allegation of rape in 2016, by a man now aged 63.

'The allegation relates to one victim who is being supported by specialist officers.

'The investigation is in its early stages. No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.'

Allegations were first reported in July by the Belfast Telegraph that a woman from Northern Ireland had been sexually assaulted by Donaldson in the DUP offices in Parliament in 2016. 

Donaldson was jailed last week for 15 years for child sex abuse offences. He was handed a 11 year sentence for the offences committed against Victim B, and four years for those against Victim A.

He was unanimously convicted in June of 18 offences against the two victims which took place over a 23-year period.

Donaldson - who was knighted in 2016 before being stripped of the honour this year - denied the charges against him, claiming they were 'unbelievable'. He has since pledged to appeal his convictions. 

Donaldson was first elected to Parliament in 1997 and was the longest-serving Northern Ireland MP, representing Lagan Valley in County Down.

He resigned as head of the DUP, which had since launched a 'focused, independent review' to establish what was known within the party about Donaldson's conduct.

After his conviction, Donaldson was stripped of his knighthood.