A NORTH-EAST MP who tried to reclaim a £5 church donation on expenses has returned to his constituency to face the music.

Frank Cook maintains he had submitted the hand-written note by mistake.

Since the outcry erupted at the weekend, the Stockton North MP said he had received a number of abusive messages.

Among the emails were some extremely brief ones including “c***” and “stupid c***”.

But Mr Cook said he had received as many messages of support.

He said: “My inbox has filled up over the weekend with many emails, some abusive, some very supportive, some short and some very long.

“A few of them were very expressive, simply calling me a ‘c***’ and ‘stupid c***’ and I can’t disagree with the stupid part.

“On the other hand I have had as many emails of support from people in the constituency.”

He reiterated his apology for submitting the claim. “I’m very embarrassed and feel extremely stupid that this has happened. I was out of the country on parliamentary business and one of my team went to the service in my place and, quite properly, put in a £5 donation in the collection.

“When I came back and did my allowances I must have just signed it without realising what it was for– it was a really stupid thing to do, but it was a genuine accident.”

This is not the first time Mr Cook’s expenses have caused concern. In 2005 he was criticised for claiming £1,450 for gardening work at his new London home.

Two weeks ago Mr Cook refused to disclose his expenses, saying he was “too busy” to make the information available to his constituents.

Mr Cook was in Billingham yesterday to try to help residents who are concerned about exposed heating pipes in their gardens.

The thick metal pipes, which were laid in the Sixties to supply heating to town centre businesses and a block of flats, are covered in insulation and the concern is that it could contain asbestos.

Edith Lilley, 83, of Marsh House Avenue, said: “We have been on to the council to try and sort out this problem. The cover over the pipes collapsed and exposed the pipes. They need to be checked out to make sure they are safe.”