British salaries scandal

British police investigating alleged abuses of parliamentary expenses have referred four cases to prosecutors.



Detectives have been looking into several cases since the allowances scandal erupted over the summer.



The identities of the four parliamentarians, who come from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, have not yet been revealed.



The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer must now decide whether there is a realistic chance of convicting the four and what charges, if any, to bring.



Politicians found guilty of fraud or false accounting, could face the maximum penalty of seven or 10 years in prison.