Charges against Huhne ‘within days’

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne could be charged with a criminal cover-up “within days” after police won a court battle to obtain e-mails from his ex-wife Vicky Pryce.Evidence will now be handed to Essex police, who are investigating Huhne over penalty points, after the Sunday Times yesterday backed down and agreed to release the emails.The Cabinet minister is alleged to have asked Pryce to take penalty points on his behalf when he was caught speeding in 2003. The then Euro MP was allegedly trapped by a speed camera as he travelled home from Stansted airport after a flight from Strasbourg.Huhne and Pryce have each been interviewed twice about allegations of speeding and attempting to pervert the course of justice by Essex detectives.The e-mails at the heart of the case passed between Pryce and Isabel Oakeshott, the Sunday Times political editor. A judge at Chelmsford crown court last October ordered the paper to hand the e-mails to police. The paper challenged the judge’s decision applying for a judicial review which was due to be heard in the High Court yesterday.But yesterday morning its lawyers told Lord Justice Toulson and Justice Cranstan proceedings had been withdrawn. The Crown Prosecution Service has said a decision on whether to charge Huhne would only be made after these legal proceedings had finished.Huhne has said he was “very confident” police would get to the truth. “I would love to see this cleared up as soon as possible. I want to see the CPS obviously get to the bottom of this,” he has said. It is claimed he had already amassed a number of penalty points when allegedly caught speeding and is said to have faced the risk of a ban.He eventually lost his licence anyway after using a mobile phone while driving in south London in late 2003.No 10 yesterday said David Cameron had “confidence” in Huhne and refused to comment on speculation about his Cabinet future.