The UKIP candidate to be Mayor of Lewisham has been arrested following an alleged sexual assault on a homeless Bulgarian man.

Civil servant Peter Lello was arrested on May 15 after an allegation of sexual assault made four days earlier.

The assault is alleged to have taken place either on the evening of May 2 or the early hours of May 3 at an address in Lewisham.

Mr Lello, who has been bailed until June, is standing to be Mayor of Lewisham in today's elections, up against the likes of incumbent Sir Steve Bullock and the Lib Dems' Duwayne Brooks.

He is also UKIP's campaign manager in Lewisham and is a council candidate in today's election for the borough's Grove Park ward.

The Deptford resident, who is gay, told News Shopper earlier this month that one of his priorities if elected would be crime and policing.

Government officials refused to confirm reports that Mr Lello had been suspended from his job in the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesman said: "It's now a police matter. We are not commenting any further."

- News Shopper is awaiting a response from Mr Lello.