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| Police to look at MP allegations | Police to look at MP allegations |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Allegations about MPs' allowances are to be examined by a panel of police officers and lawyers amid growing calls for action over the expenses scandal. | Allegations about MPs' allowances are to be examined by a panel of police officers and lawyers amid growing calls for action over the expenses scandal. |
| Met officers and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers will examine complaints made against individual MPs to see if they merit a criminal investigation. | Met officers and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers will examine complaints made against individual MPs to see if they merit a criminal investigation. |
| Labour minister Shahid Malik stood down on Friday pending an inquiry into his expenses and has defended his actions. | Labour minister Shahid Malik stood down on Friday pending an inquiry into his expenses and has defended his actions. |
| MPs from all parties have repaid thousands of pounds for claims made. | MPs from all parties have repaid thousands of pounds for claims made. |
| Stream of allegations | |
| In a joint statement, the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service said the panel would hold its first meeting next week. | |
| Public anger over the behaviour of MP's has grown as the Daily Telegraph has published details of individual expense claims made over the past few years. | |
| The disclosures have led to the suspension of one former Labour minister, Elliot Morley, and justice minster Mr Malik stepping down pending investigations by ministerial standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer. | |
| A senior adviser to David Cameron, Tory MP Andrew MacKay, was also forced to relinquish his post after the party said claims he had made towards his second home were "unacceptable". | |
| The Met said it had already held meetings with the CPS about the issue of parliamentary expenses before the newspaper began its campaign a week ago. | |
| But it said that it had now decided to act upon the stream of allegations which had come out. | |
| "Due to the increase in subsequent allegations received by the MPS, the Commissioner and Director of Public Prosecutions have jointly decided to convene a panel to assess allegations in order to decide whether criminal investigations should be started," a spokesman said. | |
| Former senior police officer Ray Mallon, the Mayor of Middlesbrough, called on Friday for the police to look into allegations against MPs on the grounds of potential fraud - the most high-profile figure to do so. |