A 21-year-old woman has been arrested after senior Labour MP Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach during a surgery in his east London constituency.

Mr Timms, 54, was said to be in "good spirits" as he recovered in hospital after the incident at the Beckton Globe community facility in Kingsford Way, east London.

The East Ham MP had been holding a regular surgery when he was attacked shortly after 3pm on Friday.

A spokeswoman for Barts and the London NHS Trust said: "Stephen Timms MP was taken to the Royal London this afternoon after being stabbed in the abdomen and is in a stable condition."

A Labour Party spokesman said: "Stephen was taken by ambulance to the Royal London Hospital. He is currently undergoing tests, and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. He has received visitors and is in good spirits.

"Stephen would like to express his thanks and gratitude to both the staff at Beckton Globe for their assistance, and the ambulance and hospital staff for their fantastic care."

Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said: "One of the great strengths of the British political system is the everyday accessibility of MPs to their constituents but we can't have a situation where MPs are at risk.

"Parliament needs to consider how best to ensure MPs can carry out their responsibilities safely."