LONDON (REUTERS) - Disgraced former British minister Chris Huhne was jailed for eight months on Monday for lying to police about a speeding offence a decade ago, the final chapter in a bizarre tale of adultery and revenge which has gripped the British public.

Huhne's ex-wife Vicky Pryce, a prominent economist, was also jailed for eight months for her role in the deception. The pair had falsely informed police that she was driving his car when it was caught by a speed camera, so that he could avoid a driving ban.

The incident remained a family secret for years but came back to haunt Huhne after he left Pryce for his mistress in 2010. Pryce told two newspapers about the 2003 deception in an act of revenge that landed both Huhne and herself in the dock.

Prior to the scandal, which cost him his cabinet post, Huhne was seen as a potential leader of the Liberal Democrats, junior partners of the Conservatives in Britain's ruling coalition government.