LORD David Steel has pulled out of a planned appearance at a festival in East Lothian this summer, organisers have announced.

North Berwick festival Fringe by the Sea has said that Lord Steel has withdrawn from the programme after he was suspended from the Liberal Democrats.

The former leader of the Lib Dems, Lord Steel was suspended after his dealings with the late Cyril Smith came to light.

Cyril Smith MP was investigated by the police for child abuse offences in 1969.

Lord Steel stated that he had "assumed" that Cyril Smith had committed the offences after raising the question with him at the time, but didn’t pursue it, adding it “had been properly a matter for the police and the council, and not for me as he was neither an MP nor even a member of the Liberal Party at the time. I was in no position to reopen the investigation”.

Cyril Smith was a Labour councillor in Rochdale in the 1960s before becoming a Liberal. He then served the town as Liberal and then Liberal Democrat MP between 1972 and 1992.

More allegations that he had been abusing young boys throughout his time in Rochdale emerged after his death in 2010.

A festival spokesperson said: “This morning, we received notification from David Steel that, upon legal advice, he is withdrawing from Fringe by the Sea events, as it is not known how long the party enquiry will take.

"We are securing an alternative host for the Lunchtime Conversations with Alexander McCall Smith and Val McDermid and will make a further announcement in due course."