FORMER Avon and Somerset police chief constable Nick Gargan was the victim of "trial by media and smear", Tory MPs have said as they criticised investigators and police officials involved.

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox insisted Mr Gargan faced "irresistible" pressure to resign from Avon and Somerset Constabulary's top job before the facts of his case were known.

Fellow Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg claimed the force's police and crime commissioner (PCC) Sue Mountstevens had "bowed to pressure, not because of mature, considered judgment" in seeking Mr Gargan's resignation.

And Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater and West Somerset) labelled a senior officer as a "poodle of the PCC" who "stabbed his boss in the back" for signing a no-confidence letter in the then chief constable before receiving a promotion.

But Avon and Somerset's temporary chief constable Gareth Morgan accused MPs taking part in the debate of using the protection of parliamentary privilege to make a number of "categorically incorrect" allegations.

Mr Gargan resigned earlier this month following weeks of mounting pressure after he was found guilty of eight charges of misconduct and an independent panel recommended he receive eight final written warnings.

Ms Mountstevens had begun a process to require Mr Gargan - who was suspended on full pay in May 2014 after allegations he had made inappropriate advances to female colleagues - to resign.

Mr Gargan had been further accused of leaking internal emails and using his work phone to send, receive and store intimate images during an investigation by the police watchdog.

Moving a parliamentary debate on the issue, Mr Rees-Mogg said a "flawed process, a weak police and crime commissioner and the power of gossip" allowed Mr Gargan to be dismissed.

He warned this could "undermine" the ability of future chief constables to take difficult decisions.

Senior Tory Dr Fox (North Somerset) also asked Mr Rees-Mogg: "In short, is not what we have seen trial by media and smear - resulting in an irresistible pressure on a public servant to resign before the facts of the case were ultimately known or due weight and consideration given to those offences?"

Mr Rees-Mogg replied: "You, as so often, hit the nail on the head and the one block there ought to have been to this - the police and crime commissioner - turned out to be weak in the face of this trial by media and this public pressure.

"And this is deeply unsatisfactory because it means the loss of confidence in somebody who has been found not guilty may be sufficient to remove them from the job.

"So if you throw enough mud and a little bit of it sticks then that can justify a lack of confidence."

Conservative Mr Liddell-Grainger raised concerns over the promotion of Chief Superintendent Ian Wylie after he signed a letter of no confidence in Mr Gargan from the Avon and Somerset branch of the Police Superintendents' Association.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: "The chief superintendent's letter did the damage. The man who signed that on behalf of the chiefs concerned was Chief Superintendent Ian Wylie, who suddenly then became promoted to be the commander in Somerset.

"Now I'm sorry, this is too much of a coincidence. This is actually worse than anything that chief constable Gargan did."

Conservative Charlotte Leslie (Bristol North West) criticised the Independent Police Complaints Commission's (IPCC) handling of the investigation, adding there must not be a repeat of the "scandalous circle of cover up" previously seen in the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal.

Responding to the MPs, Security Minister John Hayes said Policing Minister Mike Penning would meet Mr Gargan and concerned MPs in an effort to add a further check on the "reasonableness and fairness" of the decision to oust him.

Mr Morgan, the acting successor to Mr Gargan, disputed Mr Liddell-Grainger's claims about Mr Wylie.

He said: "The truth is Ian Wylie was promoted well before the misconduct proceedings were even brought.

"He was subject to a robust selection process involving a properly constituted panel in September 2014. His posting as Chief Superintendent for the Somerset policing area was confirmed on June 12 2015."