Met set to probe Cabinet expenses

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Among those in the spotlight are Cabinet members Chancellor Alistair Darling, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Minister for London Tony McNulty.

The remaining three complaints are believed to be backbenchers whose spending was highlighted in the media over the weekend.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime Directorate have received written complaints about at least half a dozen Parliamentarians.

They face a fresh political headache as the force's top officers consider whether to launch potentially highly-charged inquiries.

The branch, led by Acting Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams, has been behind complex political inquiries such as the cash-for-honours and lords-for-hire investigations.

Sources said officers expect the final number of complaints to soar far higher as they are contacted by enraged voters and members of Westminster's political elite.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "We have received a number of complaints which are being considered and not investigated at this time."

Investigators are likely to consult with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide whether prosecutions could be merited and in the public interest.

At the centre of their discussions will be whether MPs can be proved to have committed a criminal offence and the chances of a conviction in court.