A Conservative MP who offered to leak information to a fake gambling firm is not “one of ours”, a minister has insisted.

Richard Holden, the roads minister, branded Scott Benton’s behaviour “unacceptable” and welcomed the decision to strip him of the Tory whip.

An undercover investigation for The Times saw Mr Benton, the MP for Blackpool South, filmed offering to lobby ministers on behalf of a fictitious gambling company and suggesting he was prepared to help an investment fund obtain “behind the scenes” information.

Asked if these actions were befitting of a Conservative MP, Mr Holden told Times Radio: “Well, that’s quite right and that is why he has referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and has also had the whip suspended by the Chief Whip.

“This behaviour is totally unacceptable and I am glad that it is now going to be thoroughly investigated, all the claims made, and will get properly looked into.”

Mr Benton is the chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on betting and gaming.

When it was put to him that “you can’t really get any worse than that, can you?”, Mr Holden replied: “No.”

And pressed on Mr Benton being “one of yours”, the minister insisted: “Well he is not any more.

“I can’t comment on his motives… I’m just glad it’s being looked into now it’s going to be investigated, and the whip has been withdrawn.”

Spoof website included misspellings

The Times had revealed that during a meeting at a central London hotel early last month with undercover reporters posing as senior figures with the fake firm Tahr Partners, Mr Benton explained how he was willing to use his position to help their business and try to water down tough new proposed reforms.

He offered to submit parliamentary written questions, which usually allow MPs to get an answer from ministers in five working days, on behalf of the company, which had a spoof website including misspellings and a link to a Wikipedia page about “green growth”.

Gamblers under 25 are set to be banned from betting more than £2 per spin in online games as part of the crackdown, The Sun reported on Wednesday night.

Cabinet documents seen by the newspaper also revealed plans for betting firms to pay a new legal tax, which will help fund support for problem gamblers, and “new controls” on free bet bonus offers.