New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS): The Chinese spy at the heart of Whitehall boasted of lobbying 'more than 480 MPs' and even sought to get her own puppet politician elected, the Daily Mail reported.

Christine Lee, 58, secretly funnelled cash to a prospective MP she hoped would secure her influence long term, but he did not succeed in gaining office, it emerged on Friday night.

The Chinese solicitor exposed as a Communist agent by MI5 boasted of her influence with 'government ministers, senior civil servants and peers', posting photos of herself in Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court.

She was also invited to the Home Office where she had access to immigration officials, the report said.

But despite Lee being accused of 'political interference activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party', there was growing anger last night that the married mother of two looks set to escape sanction.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said her activity was 'under the criminal threshold' and Whitehall sources confirmed Lee will not be expelled after MI5 issued an alert on Thursday warning MPs about her penetration of Parliament, the report said.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said on Friday that the case was the 'tip of a very large iceberg' and called for Lee to face a criminal investigation.