EVERY MP in the region is braced for embarrassing details of their expenses claims being revealed within days following the exposure of lavish spending by Cabinet ministers.

A breakdown of claims made going back four years is expected to published after the information – totalling 700,000 receipts – was apparently sold to a national newspaper for an alleged £150,000.

Gordon Brown was among the Cabinet ministers under fire yesterday, when it was revealed the taxpayer paid his brother £6,577 for “cleaning services” at the Prime Minister’s Westminster flat.

Downing Street was forced to release Mr Brown’s contract with the cleaner they shared – revealing she was paid £357 a month for seven hours cleaning his property and three hours at his brother’s.

The spotlight also fell on Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who apparently billed taxpayers almost £3,000 for work carried out on his constituency home in Hartlepool after announcing he was quitting as an MP, in 2004.

He hit back at the suggestion he had spruced up the house prior to its sale, saying: “It was to undertake essential maintenance on my home, not to enhance it.”

The most damaging allegation was that ministers were “flipping” the designation of their ‘second home’, allowing them to claim for expensive renovation work and furniture at two properties, in both London and their constituencies.

Chancellor Alistair Darling, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears all faced claims they had nominated different second homes, at different times, to maximise taxpayer- funded improvements.

Last year, three-quarters of North-East and North Yorkshire MPs claimed more than £20,000 under the additional costs allowance for second homes.

Last night, Scotland Yard confirmed it was considering a request from the House of Commons authorities to hunt down the mole who leaked the expenses’ details to The Daily Telegraph.