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Scandal-hit peer Lord Sewel has resigned from the House of Lords after coming under intense pressure over footage of him allegedly taking cocaine with two prostitutes, according to Press Association.

The former Labour minister - who is the first peer to stand down in disgrace following new rules introduced last year allowing resignations from the Upper House - apologised for the "pain and embarrassment" caused by the drugs and sex scandal, exposed in the Sun on Sunday.

The married 69-year-old had earlier quit his £84,500-a-year role as deputy speaker of the Lords and chairman of the Lords Privileges and Conduct Committee, but until this morning was resisting calls for him to leave Parliament altogether.

Last night the Metropolitan Police raided Lord Sewel's home with a sniffer dog and battering ram.

A group of officers searched the flat for three hours and left carrying several bags of evidence as part of their investigation into "allegations of drug-related offences involving a member of the House of Lords".

In a statement to parliamentary officials announcing his resignation, Lord Sewel said: "I hope my decision will limit and help repair the damage I have done to an institution I hold dear ... I want to apologise for the pain and embarrassment I have caused."
Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed his decision to "absent himself" but played down the prospect of further reform of the Second Chamber, saying there was "no point in trying that route again" after the failure of proposals under the coalition.

Conservative Leader in the House of Lords Baroness Stowell said: "I welcome Lord Sewel's decision to resign permanently.

"For the House of Lords to earn the confidence of the public, all of us must respect the privileges that come with a peerage and recognise that - because we are unelected - it is especially important to meet the standards the public have a right to expect, and to act swiftly when we fail."