THE former leader of Essex County Council has appeared in court charged with making false expenses claims.

Wearing a grey suit, Lord Hanningfield, 69, appeared at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court under his real name, Paul White. White said he would deny charges of wrongly claiming for repayment of travelling and other expenses.

The court was told White, and three Labour MPs also charged in connection with false expenses claims, would argue they were covered by Parliamentary privilege and therefore should not be prosecuted.

Protesters hurled abuse, shouting “pigs” and “oink, oink”, as White and the three MPs left court.

Details about the charges White faces were read out.

One charge states on or about April 1, 2009, at Westminster, he made a dishonest claim for travelling allowances.

The charge states he purported to show he was entitled to be paid expenses, when the conditions which entitled him to payment had not been fulfiled.

White faces six charges of false accounting relating to claims for overnight allowances from the House of Lords between 2006 and 2009.

Simon Clements, prosecuting, said: “In relation to these charges the crown’s case is that on 13 occasions Lord Hanningfield claimed for overnight stays in London, when he was driven home to his house in Chelmsford.

“On each of these instances, the claims he made ranged from between £150 and £170.”

He added the crown court was the right place to raise the issue of parliamentary privilege.

White was released on unconditional bail to appear at Southwark Crown Court on March 30.

When he was charged last month, he stood down as leader of Essex County Council and was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party.

He remains a county councillor.

After the hearing, White’s spokesman Mark Spragg made a statement on his behalf.

He said the peer had “devoted the past 40 years of his life to public service”. Mr Spragg added: “He is devastated to be in this position. He feels he has been singled out. He does not believe he has done anything dishonest.”

Speaking to reporters outside his house in Stock, before he left for the hearing, White said: “I have done 40 years of voluntary service, unpaid, to the community of Essex and the public.

“I have saved them millions of pounds and have done nothing dishonest.

“I am sure it is all going to work out fine.”