Commons Speaker approaches police to tackle Westminster ‘cocaine culture’

House of Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has said he will contact police over the “deeply concerning” allegations of drug use in Westminster.

In a warning to anyone bringing illegal substances into parliament, the Speaker said he wanted to see “full and effective enforcement of the law” for those flouting the rules.

Sir Lindsay’s comments comes following a Sunday Times investigation that found evidence of cocaine in 11 out of 12 locations tested in the building.

One senior MP said it was time to consider bringing in sniffer dogs to detect illicit substances.

Another veteran MP told the Sunday Times: “There is a cocaine culture in parliament. Some people are at it all the time and are totally blasé”.

The Speaker said: “The accounts of drug misuse in Parliament given to the Sunday Times are deeply concerning – and I will be raising them as a priority with the Metropolitan Police next week”.