The former Brexiter Tory MP Peter Bone has lost his seat after being ousted by voters in a recall petition, leaving Rishi Sunak facing a by-election in the New Year.

The Wellingborough MP was suspended from the Commons for six weeks in October after an inquiry found he subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.

A prominent supporter of Boris Johnson, Mr Bone had been sitting as an independent after losing the  Tory whip.

A six-week recall petition prompted by his suspension closed at 5pm.

As it was signed by more than 10% of the 79,046 eligible voters in his constituency, Mr Bone lost the seat, triggering a by-election.

North Northamptonshire Council said 13.2% of the local electorate backed his removal.

Mr Bone had held the seat since 2005, winning with a majority of 18,540 over Labour in 2019.

Mr Bone, 71, was found to have “committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct” against a staff member in 2012 and 2013.

Parliament’s behaviour watchdog, the Independent Expert Panel, upheld an earlier investigation that found he broke the MPs’ code of conduct on four counts of bullying and one of sexual misconduct.

The panel found that he had indecently exposed himself to the complainant in the bathroom of a hotel room during a work trip to Madrid.

Mr Bone had denied the allegations.

The former minister was kicked out of the Tory parliamentary party a day after the report was published on October 16.

Mr Sunak has already lost four by-elections this year, contributing to a sense of fatalism within his party about its prospects at the general election due next year.