Another snout in the trough MP appears in court

Another snout in the trough MP appears in court

MPs' expenses: Eric Illsley appears in court charged with £25,000 fraud

Eric Illsley, a Labour MP, today denied stealing more than £25,000 in parliamentary expenses, as he became the fifth politician to appear in court charged with fraud.



Mr Illsley is accused of deliberately over-claiming second home allowances for his home in London between 2005 and 2008.

It is alleged that he made fraudulent claims of £4,500 for council tax, £12,000 for service and maintenance bills, £4,500 for utilities charges and £5,700 for phone bills.

He faces a maximum of seven years in prison if found guilty.

At City of Westminster Magistrates' Court Simon Clements, for the prosecution, said Mr Illsley had taken advantage of a pre-2008 House of Commons rule stating MPs need not provide receipts for expenses under £250.

His excessive claims were disclosed when this limit dropped to £25 in 2008 and his claims became much smaller, Mr Clements said.