A sexual abuse victim from Hitchin has criticised Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami for supporting Boris Johnson in the Conservative leadership race.

Earlier this year, Mr Johnson was interviewed by LBC and described police funding into historic sexual abuse was money "being spaffed up a wall".

Mark O'Sullivan, who writes and stars in the Stevenage-based comedy show Lee & Dean on Channel 4, has attempted to contact Mr Afolami to voice his concerns.

He said: "It's really made me so frustrated and angry. Putting all political allegiances aside, people are throwing their support behind someone who has said something so ill thought through about money being spent on child abuse enquiries.

"It's a terrible thing to suggest that money is being wasted, but to use that kind of derogatory language just turns it into something trivial."

Mr Afolami previously supported Matt Hancock, but transferred his support to Mr Johnson after Mr Hancock withdrew from the leadership race.

Mark said: "I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. I went to the police 10 years ago and the person who abused me was taken to court and ended up going to prison.

"It was a horrible, harrowing experience - not only the abuse itself but the whole court case. I've very pleased that I do go through it because the person was put in prison and on the sex offenders register.

"So many resources and so much time and care went into making that happen by so many professionals who I have great admiration for.

"I'm just incensed by it. I want some answers from Bim about how he can lend his support. That comment is one of a number of things that Boris Johnson has said about any number of people. I can't sit back and not say something."

At the time of Boris's comment, his point of view was defended as an argument that money should not be spent on investigating historic sexual abuse where the alleged perpetrator is dead, when it should be spent on policing and tackling knife crime.

Mr Afolami did not respond to this paper's request for comment.