Lord Mandelson’s lawyers claim his arrest was prompted by a ‘baseless’ suggestion he was planning to flee the UK.

He was questioned at Wandsworth Police station on suspicion of misconduct in public office on Monday.

It was related to the alleged leaking of sensitive data to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2009.

The former minister denies any wrongdoing.

Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper says it’s an unwelcome distraction.