The Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, has resigned, following her admission that she pleaded guilty to an offence relating to a police investigation over a mobile phone she originally said was stolen.

The BBC reports that in 2013, she told police she had lost her work mobile phone in a mugging, but later found it had not been taken.

She was given a conditional discharge in 2013, before she became an MP.

Ms Haigh’s is the first resignation from Sir Keir Starmer’s government and the 37-year-old said her appointment as the “youngest ever” female Cabinet member “remains one of the proudest achievements of my life”.

Following reports by Sky and The Times on Thursday, Ms Haigh issued a statement, explaining she made a police report after a “terrifying” mugging in London, said the BBC report.

She said she reported the phone as one of a number of items she believed had been stolen, and was issued with a new work phone.

Some time later, she discovered the handset was still in her house, and she switched it on, which “triggered police attention” and she was called in for questioning.

“My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice,” she said, and the matter was sent to magistrates, said the BBC report.

Haigh said she pleaded guilty to making a false report to police at a magistrates’ court, six months before becoming an MP in the 2015 election, and received a discharge – the “lowest possible outcome”.

She added: “Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.”

On Friday she sent her resignation letter to Sir Keir Starmer, saying she did not want to become a distraction and Labour would be “best served by my supporting you from outside government”.

In response, Sir Keir said Ms Haigh had made “huge strides” as transport secretary to take the rail system back into public ownership, and thanked her for her work.