MP Peter Mandelson has said he does not wish to return to front line politics.

The news comes after documents were found which exonerate the Hartlepool MP and former Northern Ireland Secretary from the Hinduja passport scandal.

Satisfied that his name has been cleared, the MP told BBC Look North that he was not interested in becoming European Commissioner or an ambassador abroad, he simply wanted to remain a constituency MP.

He said: "If I was to go back into the Cabinet, should I be asked, I would feel like I was going straight back into the firing line."

He resigned from the Cabinet after allegations against him claimed that he had helped the Indian tycoon SP Hinduja with a British passport application.

Mr Hinduja gave £1m to the Millennium Dome, for which Mr Mandelson was responsible.

However, the findings of the second inquiry into the scandal by Sir Anthony Hammond were released on Friday, and found Mr Mandelson had acted "properly".

But Sir Anthony declined to overturn his key finding that it was likely that Mr Mandelson phoned Home Office Minister Mike O'Brien to discuss Hinduja - a call which Mr Mandelson denies took place.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has indicated that Mr Mandelson might not have had to resign from the Cabinet if the information in the second inquiry had been available at the time.

Downing Street said the report showed claims that passports were traded for Dome sponsorship were "totally without any foundation" and that those who doubted Mr Mandelson's word "were wrong to do so".