Disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield could be suspended from the House of Lords over allowances’ claims.

The Lords Privileges and Conduct Committee said the former Conservative Essex County Council leader should face the sanction until the end of the current session of Parliament.

It also recommended the peer, who was jailed in 2011 over his parliamentary expenses, repays £3,3000 which he had wrongly claimed.

The investigation came after a national newspaper photographed Lord Hanningfield, real name Paul White, entering and leaving Parliament and spending short periods of time while claiming the daily allowance of £300.

Following publication of the allegations in December a complaint was made to the Commissioner for Standards that Lord Hanningfield had breached Parliamentary rules and therefore the code of conduct.

An investigation by the commissioner found the peer had spent less than 40 minutes in Parliament and had not carried out work, meaning he wrongly claimed £3,000.

Lord Hanningfield appealed against the decision, but the conduct committee ruled no work had been carried out, and even the reduced daily rate of £150 should not apply.

The full House of Lords will now consider whether to impose the sanction.