Former Tory MP David Warburton found dead in London flat aged 59

David Warburton resigned as an MP in 2023 - (UK Parliament)

A former Tory MP who resigned after facing allegations of sexual misconduct and cocaine use has died aged 59.

David Warburton represented the Somerton and Frome constituency in Somerset from 2015 until June 2023 but ended his political career when he resigned his seat after revelations about his conduct.

The subsequent by-election was one of the worst reversals for the Tories in history and helped set them on the path for a historically bad defeat in the following year’s general election.

Scotland Yard said police were called to an address in Sands End, west London, on August 26 where a man in his 50s was found dead at the scene.

Officers are treating the death as "unexpected but not suspicious", the force said.

The former MP had admitted cocaine use but denied claims of sexual misconduct against him and hit out at a parliamentary probe into the allegations, which had taken 14 months at the time of his resignation.

He said he had been denied a fair hearing and left with "no choice" but to provoke "the upheaval of a by-election", which was won by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke.

The seat was abolished as part of boundary changes that came into effect at last summer's general election.

Allegations that he had sexually harrassed three women were withdrawn after an invesigation by the parliamentary authorities in 2022. But the impact on the then MP meant he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

He was married with two children and after a successful business career as the founder of The Music Solution Ltd (TMS) , later SplashMobile, he was expected to have a promising political career.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said on Monday: "Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 10.47hrs on Tuesday, 26 August to an address at Chelsea Crescent, Sands End.

"A man in his 50s was found dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

"His death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious."

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called on Tuesday 26 August at 10.14am to reports of an incident in Chelsea Crescent, Chelsea Harbour, SW10.

"We sent (an) ambulance crew and a clinician on a bicycle.

"Sadly, a man was pronounced dead at the scene."

A former Tory MP, who had been close to Mr Warburton, told The Independent: “Most of us lost touch with him after he left parliament. It is very sad to hear about his death though.”

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