Disgraced former childcare minister Mark McDonald is to be suspended from Holyrood for a month after it was ruled he sexually harassed a fellow MSP's employee.

Scotland's parliamentary watchdog launched the investigation after SNP MSP James Dornan wrote to the body alleging a member of his staff was a victim of harassment by the Aberdeen Donside MSP.

McDonald resigned from the SNP in March after an internal party investigation found that he had exploited "his position of power" as an MSP over two women.

It said he had sent "unwanted text and social media messages" and that his behaviour caused distress to those involved.

One message read: "My phone wanted to autocorrect dingyed to [********] there.

"Which I'm so glad I noticed before I sent that message."

The commissioner for ethical standards in public life has cleared the MSP of some of the complaints against him.

However, he has been sanctioned by the standards committee after the commissioner ruled he had harassed Dornan's employee by sending inappropriate direct messages on Twitter.

Standards committee convener Clare Haughey said the commissioner found he had "failed to treat one witness with respect", in a manner constituting sexual harassment.

The report also said McDonald had failed to treat a second witness with respect "over a financial matter".

MSPs on the committee ruled McDonald breached Holyrood's code of conduct and recommended he should be excluded from parliament without pay for a month.

The suspension would not overlap with parliamentary recess, which begins at the start of July.

The committee's recommendations will still need to be ratified in the chamber by MSPs.

In a statement, McDonald said: "I have accepted the findings of the commissioner's report in relation to the two breaches of the code of conduct.

"The first finding relates to the sending of an inappropriate social media message to a female member of staff employed by another MSP.

"This message was the reason I resigned as a Scottish Government minister in November 2017, and I have previously made a public apology for having sent it. I reiterate that apology today.

"The Commissioner has concluded that this message constituted sexual harassment.

"Analysis by my solicitor suggested that, while I accepted the message was inappropriate, it did not constitute sexual harassment.

"I therefore advised the standards, procedures and public appointments committee that I did not accept the finding.

"The committee has chosen to accept the commissioner's conclusion."