WEST Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper has accepted a “sufficient apology” from the local Conservative general election candidate over comments he made in the press about a properly declared Parliamentary trip to South Africa.

Rosie said: “The trip was declared fully with the Electoral Commission in accordance with Parliamentary rules.

“The Tory candidate has since acknowledged and accepted that I acted entirely properly and that I followed Parliamentary rules.

“Also, according to the Tory candidate’s solicitor, he says he has ‘no intention to repeat’ his comments. I am therefore willing to accept that as a sufficient apology.

“However, I must warn him that next time he tries to damage my reputation without any qualification I will not be so forgiving.

“This was nothing more than a cheap effort by my Tory opponent at political point-scoring and only serves to damage politics.”