Police pass new parliamentary expenses file to CPS

Police have been investigating alleged abuse of expenses

Scotland Yard has passed to prosecutors a new file of evidence against an unnamed parliamentarian suspected of abusing expenses.

Police and prosecutors declined to confirm the identity of the politician who is the subject of the file.

It is the seventh file to be completed and sent to prosecutors by detectives at the Met's specialist crime unit.

Three MPs and a member of the House of Lords appeared in court nine days ago accused of theft by false accounting.

MPs David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine, along with Lord Hanningfield, deny any wrongdoing and say their cases should be dealt with by Parliament's authorities instead.

The MPs are all suspended by the Labour Party, while Lord Hanningfield has been suspended by the Conservatives.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said last week that Labour peer Baroness Uddin would not be prosecuted.

He said the wording of guidelines issued by the House authorities had presented prosecutors with a "very real difficulty" in bringing a case.

Prosecutors said no charges would be brought against a sixth politician, former Labour chairman Lord Clarke of Hampstead, because of a lack of evidence.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed another dossier had been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

He said: "One further file of evidence relating to parliamentary expenses was delivered to the Crown Prosecution Service this afternoon."