Watford MP Claire Ward has been asked to 'clarify' some expenses claims

Ms Ward is one of more than 600 MPs who have received letters, following an investigation into MPs' expenses by former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg.

Many MPs have been told they must pay money back after he imposed new legislation on expenses claimed by elected members dating back to 2004.

The publication of Ms Ward's expenses in June this year showed she had paid more than £100 a month to a cleaning firm to attend her Westminster flat between 2004 and 2008.

She was also found to have used her Additional Cost Allowance, provided for MPs to pay for a second home, to re-carpet the lounge, hallway and two bedrooms of her Westminster flat, at a cost of £1,500, in July 2005.

The Labour MP also spent £300 on vinyl tiles for her kitchen floor in August 2005 and an additional £2,500 on “paint and materials” in October the same year.

Receipts showed that between April 1, 2006 and June 2, 2006, she spent £112 on a mattress, £104 on a vacuum cleaner and £42 on electrical fittings.

Then in August 2007, she paid for a £400 washing machine using taxpayers' money.

The previous year, between July 2, 2006, and August 2, 2006, she also claimed for storage cupboards worth £3,000 and a new sofa and chair, worth £1,500.

Ms Ward claimed £600 for a new mobile phone in 2006 and £500 to a web design company, to “develop and modify” her website in 2005.

Bills for accountants totalled more than £3,000.

Ms Ward confirmed to the Watford Observer today that she had received a letter from Sir Thomas Legg, asking for “clarifications and some details” about some of her claims.

She said: “I think that information may already be on file but I'm now digging it back out again.

“I'm not overly concerned about some of the information he's asked for. We will see what he makes of it all. I have three weeks to provide the information. We will then see what he had to say about it.

“I will be co-operating and providing the necessary information that he requests.”