Former Labour Minister and Alex Ferguson invited rapist tycoon to party fundraiser

Millionaire businessman Owen Oyston, 73, sparked a storm of criticism by appearing at the dinner at Wembley Stadium earlier this month.

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Gordon Brown ordered an immediate investigation into how Oyston - jailed for raping a 16-year-old girl at his country- estate home - managed to get on the guest list for the gala.

But a letter obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveals he was invited by Richard Caborn who, until the end of June, was the Minister of Sport, and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, a long-term Labour supporter.

It says: "We are delighted to invite you to join us at the new Wembley Stadium on Thursday 12 July to celebrate ten years of sport with Labour.

"We very much hope you will be able to join us on what should be a fabulous evening."

Mr Oyston, who served just over half his six-year sentence after his conviction in 1996, paid £10,000 for a ticket at the fund-raising bash, hosted by the Prime Minister and Tony Blair.

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Mr Brown has since ordered that any donation made by Mr Oyston be returned to him.

The aim of the event was to raise up to £600,000 for the cash-strapped party. Guests included former cricket umpire Dickie Bird, former athlete Steve Cram and showbusiness stars such as Mick Hucknall and Robin Gibb, who lent Mr Blair his Barbados villa last summer.

Leading figures from the Labour Party were also there and Oscar-winning producer Lord Puttnam made a special film to be distributed on DVD to guests.

The cost of their tickets entitled them to tour the stadium and try out sports including football, basketball, table tennis and rowing.

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Oyston once owned a chain of radio stations and the rights to the Miss World contest. He was a major Labour benefactor in the early Nineties, making three gifts totalling £15,750 between 1992 and 1994. His family now own Blackpool Football Club, where his son Karl is chairman.

Mr Caborn admitted that he sent the letter to Oyston, but said he did so only as part of a general invitation to a number of football clubs. He added: "That letter was sent to Blackpool Football Club, but the money has now been paid back and that is the end of it.

"I wrote to all the football clubs who were there - the same letter with the same signatures - a long time before the event. I have told the general secretary of the Labour Party about this and unless he comes back to me to ask me further questions, that is an end of it as far as I am concerned."

Since leaving his ministerial post, Mr Caborn - a close ally of John Prescott - has become an ambassador for the possible bid to bring the 2018 football World Cup to Britain.

In this role he will oversee the appointment of the bid's senior team and liaise between Ministers and the Football Association. He will also play a key role in lobbying FIFA.