A junior health minister has said that he “apologises unreservedly” after sending dozens of text messages to an assistant in his private office.

Ivan Lewis, 41, sent the messages to Susie Mason, then 24, last year. She complained to her managers and asked to be moved to another job in the department. She left the Civil Service later to pursue a career in the City. The News of the World quoted a Whitehall source, who described Ms Mason as “a bright, vivacious girl”, as saying: “The view was that he misinterpreted this, pursuing her with a series of increasingly intimate texts.” The previous year Mr Lewis, a father of two, had parted from his wife after 16 years.

He was said to have sent dozens of messages to Ms Mason, commenting on her looks and her clothes, and later asking her out on a date.

The Department of Health said: “The situation was handled professionally and sensitively in full accordance with the employee’s wishes. She raised no formal complaint against the minister and all the actions to resolve the matter were agreed with her.”

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