Three Labour MPs and one Conservative peer are to be charged with false accounting over alleged abuses of the parliamentary expenses system.
The charges are the latest twist in a long-running scandal over politicians' expenses.
An official report released yesterday found that 390 MPs had filed excessive expense claims between 2004 and 2009 and should pay back a total of over £1m (€1.14m).
Many of the claims were for household items deemed trivial by auditors.
However, some MPs stand accused of more serious abuses such as 'flipping', or changing which house they declared as their main home in order to maximise second home allowances.
The politicians are Labour's Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine and Paul White - Lord Hanningfield - of the Conservative Party.
'In four cases, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges and that it is in the public interest to charge the individuals concerned,' said Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer in a televised statement.
Former environment minister Elliot Morley faces two charges of dishonest claims for mortgage expenses, Mr Chaytor faces three charges of dishonest claims, while Mr Devine faces two charges for making claims based on false invoices.
The BBC reported that the three had issued a joint statement denying the charges and vowing to 'defend our position robustly'.
Mr White faces six charges, centred on numerous claims for overnight expenses for staying in London when records show he was driven home and did not spend the night in London.
He could not immediately be reached for comment.
While only four legislators face criminal charges, the scandal over parliamentary expenses has tainted several hundred MPs.
The scandal has damaged Britain's Labour and Conservative parties in the run-up to a general election that must take place by June.
