Tory peer is jailed for nine months after fiddling £14,000 in expenses

A SHAMED former Tory peer last night began a nine-month prison sentence after being found guilty of fiddling his parliamentary expenses.

Lord Hanningfield falsely claimed for nearly 14,000 for overnight stays in London when he was not in the capital.

His expenses-fiddling included one occasion in February 2008 when he was actually on board a flight to India.

The peer, who was convicted of six counts of false accounting in May, showed no emotion as he was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court. He immediately lodged an appeal against the conviction.

The 70-year-old, born Paul White, now faces an investigation by parliamentary authorities into his expenses claims, which was launched following his conviction in May. But Commissioner for Standards Paul Kernaghan said he would suspend his investigation until after the appeal is concluded.

A House of Lords spokesman said: "The Commissioner for Standards has decided to initiate an investigation into the conduct of Lord Hanningfield in relation to his use of the Members' Reimbursement Scheme.

"In light of the fact that Lord Hanningfield has given notice of his intention to appeal, the matter is still sub judice and the commissioner's investigation will commence once the judicial process is complete."

He could be freed after serving less than three months of his sentence under early release rules for non-violent prisoners who pose a low risk.

He is the final politician charged in relation to their expenses to be jailed, but more prosecutions could be in the pipeline.

Scotland Yard last night said a "small number" of other cases involving the expenses of other MPs and Lords are still either being considered by prosecutors or investigated by the police.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saunders said Lord Hanningfield, an ex-Lords opposition frontbencher and leader of Essex County Council, would now be partly remembered as a "benefits cheat".The judge said: "Great trust was placed in peers to be honest in their claims for expenses."

Mr Justice Saunders said that he would reduce the length of imprisonment after hearing mitigation relating to Lord Hanningfield's ill-health.

Professor Valerie Cowie told the court that Lord Hanningfield had been diagnosed with clinical depression and "collapsed completely" after being convicted.

His blood pressure rose, he had several falls and he has shown suicidal thoughts, including remarking that he would stab himself and his dog.

Lord Hanningfield claimed 13,379 in parliamentary expenses for overnight stays in London when he was not in the capital.

The peer, a former pig farmer from West Hanningfield, near Chelmsford, also fraudulently claimed 382 in train fares and 147 in mileage by doubling the seven-mile distance from his house to the railway station.

He told his trial that he treated the Lords expenses for staying overnight in London as an allowance for living outside the capital and spent just "a minute a month" completing his claim forms.

He alleged that most other peers treated the House of Lords as a "club", turning up there for only ten minutes to claim their daily allowance.

Four former Labour MPs - David Chaytor, Eric Illsley, former Livingston MP Jim Devine and Elliot Morley - have already received prison terms for fiddling their parliamentary expenses.