Four in court over expenses

THREE former Labour MPs and a Tory peer accused of fiddling their expenses have all appeared in court for a preliminary hearing.

Former Livingston MP Jim Devine, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield – real name Paul White – appeared at Southwark Crown Court in front of Mr Justice Saunders yesterday for a preliminary hearing in their case.

They face various charges of false accounting under the Theft Act.