Tory MP Andrew Pelling arrested over 'assault'

Tory MP Andrew Pelling arrested over 'assault'

By Sophie Borland, Aislinn Simpson and Jonathan Isaby
Last Updated: 9:46am BST 20/09/2007

A Conservative MP has been arrested following allegations of assault by his pregnant wife, it has emerged.

Andrew Pelling, 48, the MP for Croydon Central, was held after police received a complaint from his 26-year-old wife Lucy.

The father-of-three, who is also a London Assembly member, was arrested at his home in Croydon on Tuesday and later released on bail without charge.

A close friend of Mrs Pelling told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Pelling's wife had told him over the weekend that she was carrying his child.

A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police said: "A man in his 40s was arrested on September 18 at an address in south London in connection with allegations of assault.

"He was taken to a south London police station and was bailed to return on 1 October. The alleged victim is a female in her 20s."

Mr Pelling was not available for comment but a spokesman for Conservative Head Office said: "This is a police matter and therefore it would not be right to comment at this stage."

Pelling married Lucy Slaytor, his second wife, in November last year after the pair began an affair whilst he was carrying out his election campaign.

He is reported to have ended his 14-year marriage with his first wife Sanae Umeda Pelling, the mother of his three children, whilst she was visiting her dying father in Japan.

At the time, she claimed that Pelling had posted envelopes of housekeeping cash through the letterbox of their £500,000 home in Croydon because he could no longer face her.

He left her to bring up their three children Alice, 21, Elizabeth, 18, and Alexander, 1, whilst he began his new relationship with Miss Slaytor.

Mr Pelling has campaigned for several issues within his local area such as for higher pensions and to keep local Post Offices and neighbourhood pharmacies open.

In July he campaigned for a public inquiry into miscarriages of justice in the family courts.

He also campaigned to save the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London amid plans to demolish it last year.

Last night Lucy Pelling, who is seven weeks pregnant, told The Daily Telegraph that she had left the home on Sunday morning.

Speaking from her parents' home, also in Croydon, she said: "I just want to get on with my life now, I’ve got a baby to think about. She added that she will also have to find a new job as she was previously her husband's parliamentary assistant.

She said: "Andrew couldn’t drive so I used to drive him everywhere. I was 100 per cent supportive of his political life. Anybody will tell you that."

As for his future in politics, she said: "I guess it's a decision for Andrew and the party to make."

Mrs Pelling said she had taken out an injunction against her husband to prevent him from making contact with her.

She said she would "absolutely not" go back to him, adding: "This is it now. The marriage was unhappy from the outset.

"I'm just very, very upset at the moment. I can’t go into any details because I don’t want to prejudice a possible court case."

Mrs Pelling said that the revelation of her pregnancy had not come as a surprise and added: "We were trying for a baby, the baby was wanted."