Dan Norris, the 65-year-old MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, has been arrested on suspicion of serious charges, including rape, child sex offences, child abduction, and misconduct in a public office. The arrest took place on Friday, April 4, and Norris was released on conditional bail as the investigation continues.
Norris, who was elected as MP in 2024 after defeating Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, had previously served in Parliament from 1997 to 2010 as the representative for Wansdyke. He was also a junior minister under Gordon Brown and an assistant whip under Tony Blair. Since 2021, he has served as Mayor of the West of England, although he is expected to step down ahead of the May local elections.
According to the West of England Combined Authority website, Norris previously worked as an NSPCC-trained child protection officer.
Avon and Somerset Police have stated that their investigation was initiated following a referral in December 2024 from another police force regarding alleged non-recent child sex offences. Most of the alleged offences are believed to have occurred in the 2000s, but there is also an investigation into a separate alleged rape offence from the 2020s. The case is still in the early stages, and the victim is receiving support.
The police confirmed that Norris was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction, and misconduct in a public office. The investigation is being led by officers from Operation Bluestone, a team dedicated to investigating rape and serious sexual assaults.
