Ken Livingstone has been suspended by Labour for "bringing the party into disrepute" following an anti-Semitism row.

The party is launching an investigation into the former London mayor's conduct after outraged senior Labour figures lined up to call for him to be kicked out.

Chief whip Rosie Winterton is also hauling backbencher John Mann in for a meeting over his behaviour after he launched a furious face-to-face attack on Mr Livingstone, accusing him of being a "Nazi apologist".

Read more: Ken Livingstone called 'Nazi apologist' in confrontation with Labour MP

A Labour spokesman said: "Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party, pending an investigation, for bringing the party into disrepute.

"The chief whip has summoned John Mann MP to discuss his conduct."

Read more: Labour faces anti-semitism storm as MP Naz Shah suspended

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale was among those who had called for the party to act after the former London mayor invoked Adolf Hitler to defend a Labour MP accused of anti-Semitism.

Mr Livingstone said that Naz Shah’s comments "were over the top but she’s not anti-Semitic".

He added: "Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism – this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians."

On the way into an interview for the BBC’s Daily Politics programme Mr Mann shouted at Mr Livingstone that he was a “Nazi apologist”.

Mr Livingstone accused him of being “over the top”.

Less than two hours later Labour announced in a statement that Mr Livingstone had been suspended, "pending an investigation, for bringing the Party into disrepute".