Peter Mandelson arrested over alleged leak of information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

Peter Mandelson. File Picture: PA

Peter Mandelson has been arrested in Britain on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Metropolitan Police said the 72-year-old was taken to a London police station for interview on Monday.

The former Labour minister has been accused of passing sensitive information onto paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary.

Two of his properties were previously searched by police in connection with the allegations, which surfaced following the US Department of Justice’s document dump related to Epstein last month.

It comes less than a week after the former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was held also in relation to alleged misconduct in public office.

Just minutes before Mr Mandelson's arrest, British MPs were told the first tranche of documents related to his appointment as US ambassador is expected to be released "very shortly in early March".

However, the publication of some correspondence between Downing Street and Mr Mandelson will be delayed "because of the Metropolitan Police interest", Darren Jones, chief secretary to the British prime minister Keir Starmer, said.

In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Jones said: "The Government intends to publish documents in tranches instead of one publication at the end of the process, given that we are unable to confirm how long that process will take.

"On that basis, the Government expects to be able to publish the first tranche of documents very shortly in early March.

"I should, however, inform the House that it remains the case that a subset of this first tranche of documents is currently subject to the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.

"This includes correspondence between number 10 and Peter Mandelson, in which a number of follow up questions were asked.

"Because of the Metropolitan Police interest in this document, we are unable to publish it in early March in the first tranche, but will release it as soon as we are able to do so in consultation with the Metropolitan Police."