Lord Hanningfield, the jailed former Essex County Council leader has told Radio 5live his life has been ‘absolutely hell for the last two and a half years and I'm sorry.'

Speaking to presenter Victoria Derbyshire, the 70-year old peer whose full name is Paul White, blamed £14,000 fraud charges on a ‘confusing' House of Lords expenses scheme and the demands of his two jobs - as shadow business transport and council leader.

Lord Hanningfield said he had not realised it was illegal to claim a £174-a-night allowance for overnight stays in London when he actually returned home to Essex to cover other office costs.

‘I thought I could vary between the categories, it was my mistake and I apologise for it.  But I would never have committed anything I thought was a crime,' he said.

He argued that as a peer he did not receive a salary and spent a fortune entertaining the ‘droves' of people visiting him in his capacity as transport spokesman.

‘I think people need to realise the stress and strains, which are worse than prison, of all the previous bits.  I have really paid my debt to society if I was wrong.  It's been absolute hell for the last two and a half years and I'm sorry.'