PM will act on upskirting after Bill blocked by Dorset MP

Theresa May has said the Government will provide time for anti-upskirting legislation to pass through Parliament.

The Prime Minister described upskirting as "invasive" and "degrading" as she promised to provide Government time for a Bill that seeks to criminalise the act.

On Friday Tory grandee Sir Christopher Chope, the 71-year-old MP for Christchurch in Dorset, shouted down the Voyeurism (Offences) Bill at the second reading stage in the Commons.

He was heckled with cries of "shame!" as he deployed his oft-used tactic of opposing backbench private members' bills by simply shouting an objection moments after the Bill was called.

• WATCH: Reaction from Sir Christopher's Christchurch constituency:

But Mrs May sought to soothe tensions in the wake of his actions, telling BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "That Bill was blocked, we're going to take the Bill that was blocked, the legislation that was blocked, and we're going to put it through in Government time."

Mrs May added: "What we're going to do on this upskirting issue is put in Government time and make sure that legislation is there on the statute book.

Asked why Sir Christopher was knighted six months ago, Mrs May said: "Christopher Chope has been a long-standing Member of Parliament.

"What is important is how we respond to the legislation that was going to be there.

"Because the concern is not the issue of an individual, the concern is about are we going to ensure that something that is offensive to people, that is invasive of people's privacy, are we going to ensure that action is taken about that? Yes we are."

Meanwhile one constituent made their feelings known with a display of knickers outside the MP's office...