Officials at Conservative Central Office in London have asked Chief Whip Michael Gove to look into the case of Bury St Edmunds MP David Ruffley.

Mr Ruffley received a police caution for common assault in March following an incident at an address in Pimlico involving his former partner.

Yesterday – 130 days after the original incident – Mr Ruffley issued a statement through his solicitors saying he “deeply regretted” his “inappropriate action.”

Pressure has been mounting on the Conservative Party, with Tories in Suffolk expressing concern that the party both locally and nationally has not been seen to take a strong enough stance on domestic violence.

Mr Gove should already be aware of the issues – he was one of those copied into a letter from St Edmundsbury Cathedral Dean Dr Frances Ward last week in which she called on the MP to reconsider his position.

The Chief Whip is also understood to have received a copy of Mr Ruffley’s response to that letter.

Mr Ruffley is due to attend a re-arranged meeting of the executive of the St Edmundsbury Conservative Association next Thursday.

An official from the Conservative Party said it was not known how long the Chief Whip’s investigation might take – or what the result of it was likely to be.

The House of Commons is currently in recess for the summer.