British minister quits over texts to women

A British minister has resigned after sending text messages of a sexual nature to two women, a media report said on Sunday.

Minister for Small Business Andrew Griffiths told the Sunday Mirror that he was "deeply ashamed" of his behaviour that caused "untold distress" to his wife and family to whom he "owed everything".

Griffiths, 47, also apologised for the "deep embarrassment" caused to Prime Minister Theresa May and the government.

The MP had been following the two women on Snapchat for six months before making contact in June, the BBC reported.

One of the women Imogen Treharne, 28, told the Mirror that the messages began one evening, after she posted a "racy" video.

Griffiths told the barmaid he believed one video in particular had been uploaded "for him to react".

Across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat, Griffiths reportedly sent more than 2,000 messages in three weeks to Treharne and another woman.

Treharne said she "always asked him about his interests" but that the conversation "always turned back to sex".

She described the contents of the messages she received as "vile" and "disgusting".

--IANS

ksk/bg