A former MP and journalist who courted controversy following her election as one of the 1997 "Blair babes" is backing a probe into police officers who investigated her election expenses claim.

Fiona Jones, formerly of the Lincolnshire Standard Group and Lincolnshire Echo, was convicted of making a false election expenses declaration, stripped of her seat, cleared on appeal, and went back in the House of Commons before losing her seat at the last General Election.

But in a new development in the case, four police officers are to face disciplinary action over their part in the original investigation.

A chief superintendent, superintendent and two sergeants are all charged with alleged failures of duty, according to the Police Complaints Authority.

She remains convinced the investigation and subsequent disqualification was the reason she eventually lost her seat to the Conservative Party.

And she claimed at the time that the police had failed to act impartially or professionally during their investigations.

The Crown Prosecution Service announced six months ago that it would not be prosecuting five officers over perjury, perverting the course of justice and abusing their position.

But the latest news means four of them will face an internal disciplinary hearing. Four others have already been reprimanded or "advised" over their conduct in the case.

Fiona said: "I am quite clear in my mind that, regardless of my successful appeal, my integrity was still damaged in the eyes of the public and I lost the seat against the national trend."