MP Elliot Morley faces court over expenses

Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine appeared in court for the first time today.

Appearing in the dock before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court they told District Judge Timothy Workman they denied any wrongdoing.

Their prosecution, at a court a short distance from Parliament, is the first to result from the Westminster expenses scandal.

If found guilty they could face a jail sentence of up to seven years.

Morley, the MP for Scunthorpe, is alleged to have dishonestly claimed a total of 30,428 more than he was entitled to in second home expenses on a house in Winterton, near Scunthorpe, between 2004 and 2007 - including 18 months after the mortgage on the property was paid off.

Chaytor, of Bury North, faces charges that he claimed almost 13,000 in rent in 2005 and 2006 on a London flat which he owned, as well as 5,425 in 2007 and 2008 to rent a property in Lancashire owned by his mother. He is also alleged to have used false invoices to claim 1,950 for IT services in 2006.

Livingston's Devine is alleged to have claimed 3,240 for cleaning services and 5,505 for stationery using false invoices in 2008 and 2009.

All three have been barred from standing as Labour candidates at the forthcoming general election.

The charges were announced by Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer following a nine-month investigation triggered by the leak of expenses details to The Daily Telegraph.

Insufficient evidence was found to press charges against former Labour chairman Lord Clarke of Hampstead.

As part of a joint statement with two other MPs standing trial, Morley said: "We totally refute any charges that we have committed an offence and we will defend our position robustly."

The charges were announced by Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer following a nine-month investigation triggered by the leak of expenses details to The Daily Telegraph.

At the start of the 15 minute hearing an application by their barrister Julian Knowles to allow the defendants to sit outside the dock was rejected.

All three MPs were released on unconditional bail and ordered to appear at Southwark Crown Court on March 30.