Ashby MP Andrew Bridgen has issued a full response following a national newspaper report which quoted a High Court judge as saying he "lied under oath about a multimillion-pound family dispute."

The Sunday Times has today said that Mr Bridgen, the Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, has spent years taking legal action against his own family's £27 million potato and vegetable business, which he claims forced him out unfairly.

The newspaper reports that a judge found last month that the MP had pressured a police inspector to investigate his brother over false allegations of fraud, causing an inquiry lasting more than a year.

Mr Bridgen also reportedly lied about why he had resigned from the family business, AB Produce, almost a decade ago.

The High court judge has ruled he lied under oath, behaved in an abusive, arrogant and aggressive manner and made a string of 'flagrantly dishonest' claims about a multimillion-pound family dispute, 

He could, says the newspaper, face a referral to the parliamentary standards watchdog after he was found to have been an unsatisfactory and evasive witness who sought to cover up his misconduct. 

However, Mr Bridgen has issued a full statement on social media in response and says he won the case.

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He also says the newspaper shortened his original comment on the case in the article that has appeared this morning (Sunday).

Mr Bridgen posted: "The judge made his judgement, and some of it is disappointing reading for me, however it is a civil matter mainly between family members and his part of an ongoing legal process which has already been in training for over four years.

"These comments by the judge are particularly disappointing, but they are taken from an extensive 249 page judgement relating to matters of her my brother Paul, and the other directors of the companies, of which I am the equal largest shareholder, also a minority shareholder, have conducted their affairs over the period since 2010 when I became an MP and step down from my day-to-day management of the companies.

"In actuality, I won the case and my brother will be compelled by the court in due course to repay considerable sums of money back to the businesses.

"I would also note that the judge found that the finance director Neil Sharratt had intimidated witnesses, my brother was warned by the judge at the hearing not to interfere With the witnesses before they were called up to provide evidence and that all the respondents and the financial director had colluded in their witness statements.

"My brother was also found, after choosing to stay silent so as not to incriminate himself on several occasions, having taken actions which would be classed as criminal in another court.

"I and my legal team are currently studying the judgement along with significant additional information which has been passed on to me since the hearing last November. We are exploring all avenues with regard to legal options to obtain adjust outcome.

"I hope these deeply painful matters will be resolved in due course, but fear there is a considerable way to go yet.

"Ultimately, my constituents know me well, and also the businesses which are located in my constituency, employing hundreds of local people. 

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"We live in an imperfect world and ultimately if courts always got everything correct the first time, then there will be no there will be no need for appeal mechanisms, nor would I have to campaign for 12 years to get justice for the 736 innocent sub postmaster who were wrongly convicted."

Andrew Bridgen meets Colin Jackson at the official opening of the new Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre.Photo: Ashby Nub News

According to the Sunday Times, Mr Bridgen argued in court that he was forced out by his brother Paul, 55 – but the judge ruled that he actually quit because he thought it would reduce the amount he owed his first wife Jackie, 57, in divorce proceedings.

He was found to have "tailored evidence to suit his purposes" during cross-examination.

He was also "dishonest" about his motives when he reported his brother for fraud to the police, accountancy firm KPMG and Lloyd's Bank.

AB Produce is suing Mr Bridgen, claiming that he has failed to pay rent on a £1.5 million property it owns.

Mr Bridgen was conducting business as usual in Coalville yesterday (Saturday) as he met Olympic athlete Colin Jackson (Pictured above) at the official opening of the new Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre (Photo: Ashby Nub News).