SNP MP Patricia Gibson is facing an allegation of sexual harassment by a party employee.

The politician has denied a claim of inappropriate behaviour, which she told The Scottish Sun was "malicious" and "without any foundation".

It was previously reported that a complaint had been submitted to the SNP about Gibson's behaviour towards a party employee, when the pair were drinking in Strangers bar in Westminster.

Gibson could not previously be named for legal reasons.

The SNP said individuals were entitled to have complaints dealt with confidentially and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

It is alleged that Gibson, 52, behaved inappropriately towards the man, then aged 22, in front of other MPs and bystanders, during a drinking session on January 8 last year.

It is claimed the front-bencher was "grabbing" the man's hand and pulling at him, and he alleged she said "things like 'You should come home with me'".

It is understood that two SNP MPs witnessed an incident that night, with at least one of them providing statements to the party confirming what they saw. Gibson said the MPs have told the SNP "there is no substance to allegations suggesting inappropriate sexual behaviour by me."

New evidence in the form of text messages have been submitted to the SNP this week, and have been seen by The Herald.

The messages sent from an SNP MP who was in the bar and witnessed the incident, to the complainer, shortly after midnight on January 9, appear to back up claims by the man that an incident happened with a woman in Strangers bar on January 8.

They also show that the SNP MP suggested the man could take forward a complaint if he wanted to due to what had happened that evening.

The man said he hoped the SNP would “finally act” in light of the new information he provided.

And he said he was “shocked” to see Gibson “still serving on the SNP frontbench”.

Another witness, who did not work for the party, previously told the Herald that he saw what happened and corroborated the man's account. 

He said at the time: "She was putting her hands on his shoulders, feeling his arms, touching him and grabbing his hand. She also kept leaning over and saying something to him, I don’t know what she said, but afterwards I could see that he was really uncomfortable.

"She was also putting her arms around me and things but not in the same way."

Gibson denies this happened. 

She has been the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran since 2015.

In a recent reshuffle, she was promoted to the frontbench as the SNP's spokesperson for housing, communities and local government.

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry replaced by Stuart McDonald and Anne McLaughlin in SNP reshuffle

She said: "I have repeatedly stated that these are malicious allegations which are completely without any foundation. That remains my position.

"As I made clear when these serious allegations were first made, there are significant doubts about the source of the story.

"In particular, the fact that these allegations date back to January 2020, and my understanding is that the complainant was repeatedly told by the SNP the correct way to make a complaint is following the Parliamentary process, but the complainant has chosen not to do that.

"It is my position that he is unwilling to make a formal complaint because he knows the allegations are untrue and that will be the finding of any investigation.

"If there is a formal investigation into these malicious allegations then I welcome the opportunity to clear my name."

The allegation comes a month after the SNP's chief whip in the House of Commons, Patrick Grady, stepped aside while the party investigated a sexual harassment complaint against him.

READ MORE: SNP MP steps down as chief whip while party investigates harassment allegations

The party said it had received a formal complaint against Grady and that "due process" would take place.

The formal complaint against Grady relates to an alleged incident in 2016.

MGrady, the MP for Glasgow North since 2015, became his party's chief whip in June 2017.