Kevin Spacey is being investigated by Scotland Yard over a third accusation of sexual assault.

The Metropolitan police have been told that a third man was allegedly sexually assaulted by the Oscar-winning actor, this time in Westminster, London, in 2005.

“On December 13 we received an allegation that the man sexually assaulted a man (Victim 3) in 2005 in Westminster,” a Met police spokesman said on 18 January.

The force did not directly link Spacey to the fresh allegation, but said the alleged perpetrator is the same as the subject of earlier complaints.

Spacey is already being investigated over two complaints of sexual assault in the south London borough of Lambeth – one in 2005, the other in 2008.

Spacey, 58, was one of the first Hollywood figures to face accusations in the fallout of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The actor was initially accused of making unwelcome sexual advances towards Anthony Rapp, when Rapp was 14. Spacey apologised to Rapp but said he did not remember the incident. Further allegations followed, many of which centred on Spacey’s tenure as artistic director of the Old Vic, in London.

Spacey has denied some of the allegations, but has not responded to others. He is seeking “evaluation and treatment”, according to a statement he made in November.

Following the allegations against him, the actor was fired by Netflix TV series House of Cards. Ridley Scott also erased Spacey from his completed film, All The Money in the World, replacing him with Christopher Plummer in reshoots.