A gay parliamentary researcher has claimed he considered committing suicide after being asked to "dig the dirt" on the homosexual Tory rival of his MP boss.

Tom Phillips told a tribunal that he suffered harassment and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation because Candy Atherton, the Labour MP for Falmouth and Camborne, allegedly asked him to find information about Ashley Crossley’s private life.

Atherton vehemently denied all his claims before the hearing was adjourned until next month.