Disgraced Tory peer Lord Hanningfield will remain behind bars after failing in a bid to appeal his conviction for fiddling expenses.

Three Court of Appeal judges found no grounds to allow Hanningfield - real name Paul White - leave to appeal.

He was criticised for wasting taxpayers’ money by appealing, because of the overwhelming evidence against him.

Hanningfield, 70, was jailed for nine months after being found guilty in May of six counts of false accounting in connection with his House of Lords expenses.

Between 2006 and 2009, the former leader of Essex County Council claimed £13,379 for fictitious overnight stays in London and travel from Essex to Westminster.

Mike Mackrory, acting leader of the Liberal Democrat faction at County Hall, said: "I cannot understand on my life why he appealed in the first place.

"It was just prolonging the agony and heaping further embarrassment on himself and Essex County Council.

"The amount of money which has been wasted unnecessarily is a real concern.

"He may go to his grave believing he was innocent, but the evidence was overwhelming."

Alun Jones QC, for Hanningfield, suggested there could be grounds for appeal, because Essex Police failed to interview any other peers, despite his client telling them abuse of the expenses system was “custom and practice” within the House of Lords.

He said officers had a duty to investigate any evidence which may help or incriminate a defendant.

The appeal also centred on claims the judge did not direct the jury to consider that Hanningfield claims he did not gain from the deception and was still out of pocket.

But Mark Ellison, for the prosecution, said Hanningfield had refused to divulge the names of other peers who had abused the scheme so they could not be interviewed, but clerks in the accounts department had been interviewed.

He argued the judge had given the jury opportunities to acquit Hanningfield if they felt his actions had not been to make a financial gain.

Lord Justice Hughes, said: “The proposed grounds are unarguable and we refuse leave to appeal.”