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Police have raided Lord Mandelson's homes as part of a criminal probe into the disgraced Labour grandee.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police searched the houses of the UK's former ambassador to the US on Friday amid an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office offences.

The Force's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart said: "I can confirm that officers from the Met's Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area.

"The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man. He has not been arrested, and enquiries are ongoing."

Lord Mandelson has been living at a rented farm in Wiltshire for the last few years with his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva, it is understood.

Officers are also expected to grill the former ambassador to the US within days as part of their probe into the former government spinner.

Lord Mandelson has been accused of leaking sensitive information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary under Gordon Brown.

The criminal probe into the ex-minister has so far stopped documents surrounding Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador, which Sir Keir Starmer believes will exonerate him, from being released.

The Prime Minister sparked intense fury on Wednesday when he confirmed to the Commons that he appointed Lord Mandelson to be the UK's ambassador to Washington despite knowing that the Labour peer's relationship with Epstein continued after his conviction for child sex offences.

Sir Keir "needs a miracle" to save his premiership, Labour MP Ian Byrne warned amid the ongoing saga.

Labour's backbenchers continued their attacks on the Labour leader on Friday, who has survived his most bruising week in the job.

Mr Byrne said "the red flags were there" at the time of Mandelson's appointment, saying "it was well-known what he was".

He added: "I'm sure he is angry because I'd be angry if I was him. However, he should have listened to the people who were flagging up that this was a catastrophic appointment.

And he didn't. And that's why we are here today."

Byrne said that the Prime Minister needs to "look at the consequences of his actions," adding: "What he's enabled by putting Mandelson in that job... and that may come out, we don't know what he's done while he's been in there."

Fellow Labour backbencher Neil Duncan-Jordan MP said yesterday (FRI) that Sir Keir should resign and called for a "renewal" of the party.

Speaking to BBC News, he said: "We can't just keep going on like this - lurching from one crisis to the next."

He added that he wishes to see a "renewal of the Labour party" to restart its "offer to the British public".

Sir Keir is also under pressure to axe his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, described as Mandelson's protege who pushed for the disgraced peer's appointment to the top diplomatic role.

Simon Opher MP called for a "clear out at Number 10", telling the BBC's Today programme: "If my chief of staff had done this, I think he would be looking for another job."

Others calling for McSweeney's departure include veteran MP Clive Efford and Southport's Patrick Hurley, who suggested another job should be found for him running the party's campaigns rather than the Government.

Karl Turner, the Hull East MP and a vocal critic of the current No 10 operation, said McSweeney staying would leave the prime minister's position "untenable".

He said: "I don't want the PM to go. What I want is the PM to make changes.

The Prime Minister's spokesman insisted yesterday (FRI) that Sir Keir retains full confidence in his right hand man.

Sir Keir ended the week at his countryside residence Chequers where he hosted Labour MPs including Rachael Maskell, who earlier that day called for him to quit.

It comes after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch triggered a Labour rebellion when it forced the Government to commit to publishing tens of thousands of documents related to Mandelson's appointment in the US.

It is understood that the scale of the information set to be released is similar to a public inquiry.

The Tories kept pressure on the issue on Friday by releasing a dossier of explosive evidence highlighting the ties between Epstein and Mandelson before his rise to Washington - which were all in the public domain before the appointment.

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "Keir Starmer is trying to present himself as the unwitting victim of Mandelson's twisted lies, claiming he'd never have appointed him had he known the full truth.

"But this dossier confirms beyond doubt that Starmer knew more than enough of the grim details of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein before he decided to appoint him as US Ambassador.

"The fact he appointed him anyway is simply incredible. That he is now lying about what he knew is an insult to the many victims of Epstein's horrific crimes, who deserve justice.

"The Prime Minister's authority is shot, and his Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney is on borrowed time. Someone in No10 needs to show some backbone and take responsibility for this appalling scandal."