A NORTH EAST MP today said he had done nothing wrong over claims he bought his partner's share of their London flat with a taxpayer backed mortgage.

Labour MP for Tyne Bridge David Clelland was said to have bought out his partner's share of a joint mortgage at a cost of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer in higher claims for interest payments as well as legal fees.

But Mr Clelland said today that there was "nothing illegal or improper" in the claims he had made.

The details were published in The Sunday Telegraph, which revealed information on a number of MPs who backed a law that would have blocked public release of parliamentary expense claims.