The House of Commons is investigating an event held last week which is claimed to have been attended by a Chinese “spy”.

A man reportedly insisted he was a tourist as he tried to enter an invitation-only talk on July 5 addressed by Hong Kong campaigners.

The alleged spy gave a name that was not on the approved list and did not say who he was representing on his arrival at a talk that took place deep within the Houses of Parliament, the Daily Mail reported.

The Telegraph understands parliamentary authorities are now investigating the event but have not commented publicly.

Bob Seely, a Tory MP who sits on the foreign affairs committee and organised the discussion, told the Mail it would be “completely inappropriate” for Beijing “to send an operative to intimidate or record people at a private parliamentary event”.