Claudia Webbe: MP 'threatened to send naked pictures of woman'

An MP threatened to send naked pictures of a woman to her family because she was jealous of her friendship with her partner, a court has heard.

Claudia Webbe, 56, also allegedly used a misogynistic insult against Michelle Merritt and threatened her with acid.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Ms Webbe, who is an independent MP for Leicester East after being suspended by the Labour Party, was in a relationship with Lester Thomas at the time.

She denies one charge of harassment.

The threats were made during 16 phone calls between 1 September 2018 and 26 April last year, the court heard.

"The reason for the harassment would appear to be the fact that Michelle Merritt was friends with Lester Thomas and this was an issue for the defendant Claudia Webbe," prosecutor Susannah Stevens said.

She said Ms Webbe made a string of short silent phone calls from a withheld number to Ms Merritt, who told the court she had known Mr Thomas for more than 15 years and was "good friends" to him, having previously dated.