Muammar Al Khadafi

Former Tory peer Lord Hanningfield, not out of prison for more than a couple of days after serving nine weeks of a nine month sentence for fiddling his expenses in the Lords, has been arrested by police once again, this time over allegations that he made fraudulent expenses claims while leader of Essex County Council.

The dour faced disgraced peer, who has very little to look happy about it seems, promised us recently that there was much more to be told in the story of his expenses saga, and it appears that he was right, although doubtless this is not what he meant.

Essex police have confirmed that a 70 year old man was arrested in the Chelmsford area in relation to fraud as part of an investigation into expenses claims at Essex County Council.

Bet that put a dampener on celebrations at getting out of prison after serving a mere nine weeks of a nine months sentence for swindling expenses of almost £14,000 from the taxpayer.

Should the new allegations prove true then it appears that Hanningfield, a former pig farmer, had his snout in more than one trough.

He has been released on bail until January 18th pending further enquiries.

Disgraced former Tory Peer Lord Hanningfield, jailed for 9 months back in July after being found guilty of six counts of false accounting in relation to swindling House of Lords expenses, has been released from prison after serving just 9 weeks of his sentence.

The crooked Lord was originally jailed after pocketing £14,000 of expenses he was not entitled to, and after serving just 9 weeks that works out to about 1 week per £1,550 he pocketed.

He continues to protest his innocence despite having been convicted, and will apparently reveal more of his side of the story "when he is ready".

One would have thought perhaps the trial might be the place anyone with evidence which could have led to their being cleared might well have spoken out, but seemingly not Lord Hanningfield.

Lucrative book deals and newspaper interviews in the pipeline perhaps?

Whilst he's making these revelations he may well wish to comment on the average bill of just over £5,000 a month that he ran up paying for 'entertaining' and why on earth the taxpayer should have any sympathy for him whatsoever.

It's somewhat apt that Hanningfield, 70, is a former pig farmer - snouts and troughs spring to mind.

His early release sends a clear message to the British public - swindle the taxpayer via Commons or Lords expenses and you'll get nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and that's if you are unlucky enough to be one of the token handful of cases picked out as a sop to public anger at greedy politicians and grasping lords exploiting us for every penny they can get.

Far from restoring the voters and taxpayers faith in the system, we see our trust betrayed and those who betrayed that trust escape far too lightly.

Paul White, aka Lord Hanningfield, former leader of Essex Council, and Tory peer, has been jailed for 9 months after being convicted on six counts of false accounting involving £14,000 of taxpayers money.

Hanningfield made false claims for overnight stays in London when he had in fact returned home to Essex, false claims for mileage and train fares, and hotel bills - including one bill for a hotel when he was actually aboard a plane to India.

Since his conviction, Hanningfield has supposedly been suffering from depression and was suicidal at the thought of going to prison. Don't they all get that, but only when they're caught?

He becomes second Lord to be jailed - Lord Taylor of Warwick, first black Conservative politician in the House of Lords, was jailed for 12 months after being convicted of swindling just over £11,000 in expenses.

"Great trust was placed in peers to be honest in their claims for expenses. Lord Hanningfield and others have broken that trust" said Mr Justice Saunders in passing sentence.

Hanningfield is seeking leave to appeal against the verdict.

Meanwhile, a cushy prison, and no doubt early release after 3 or 4 months served, awaits. Seems to be the pattern emerging for all those jailed for expenses claims so far.