MP who blocked upskirting law gets pranked by his colleagues

The UK is still reeling after the government’s attempt to make 'upskirting' a criminal offence was scuppered by a Conservative MP.

Upskirting is the practice of taking photo up someone's without consent. This derogatory practice has been illegal in Scotland since 2010.

The bill - which would have seen perpetrators face up to two years in prison - was expected to sail through the Commons on Friday following a campaign launched by upskirting victim Gina Martin.

But parliamentary rules mean it only required one MP to shout "object" to block its progress - and Conservative MP for Christchurch Sir Christopher Chope felt compelled to do so.

Chope’s intervention was met with shouts of "shame" from other MPs and his actions were attacked by MPs - many from his own party. Theresa May expressed personal disappointment that the bill had been thwarted.

Since the backlash, Chope, who was awarded a knighthood by May earlier this year, has defended his actions. Bizarrely, he claims to "wholeheartedly" support the proposal. Speaking to this local paper, the Bournemouth Echo, Chope said he was objecting to parliamentary procedure, rather than the law itself.

MPs who find Chope’s opposition to the bill distasteful have taken matters into their own hands. Photographs tweeted by Nigel Nelson, political editor of the Sunday Mirror, appear to show his Westminster office adorned with different pairs of colourful underwear.

Twitter users praised MPs for such a humorous and effective stunt.

More: A Tory MP has launched his own social networking app and it's going about as well as can be expected