An MP's wife has been found guilty of burglary after being caught on CCTV stealing a kitten from the home of her husband's lover.

Jurors took just over five hours to convict Christine Hemming, 53, who snatched the cat three days after separating from Liberal Democrat John Hemming.

Mrs Hemming, who showed no reaction as the verdict was returned at Birmingham Crown Court, will be sentenced next month.

She was bailed to appear at the same court on October 28.

She was seen crawling on all fours in the garden on September 29 last year before entering the house.

Three minutes later she emerged with four-month-old Beauty under her arm. The cat has not been seen since.

Special election court heard Labour MP knowingly made false claims as experts predict profound changes for future polls

Phil Woolas, the shadow immigration minister, faces being ejected from parliament after a court ruled today that he had breached election laws by falsely claiming his Liberal Democrat opponent had "wooed" extremist Muslims in the run-up to the 6 May poll.

For the first time in 99 years a specially convened election court has overturned the result of a parliamentary poll and ordered a rerun after two high court judges ruled the result of the Oldham East poll void. They upheld the claim by Elwyn Watkins that Woolas knowingly made false statements.