Nigel Evans reselected to fight for Ribble Valley seat

An MP who was cleared of committing a string of sexual offences has won the approval of local party members to defend his seat at the general election.

Nigel Evans was reselected in a secret ballot of Conservative members in Ribble Valley for the 2015 poll, a party spokesman confirmed.

The politician - who quit as Commons deputy speaker to successfully fight the allegations in court earlier this year - had faced some local dissent.

He was forced to sit as an independent in the Commons pending and during the trial but had the Conservative whip restored soon afterwards.