A CONSERVATIVE MP has defended claims made for £5,000 for gardening work at her home in North Yorkshire.

Anne McIntosh, the Vale of York MP, made the claims between 2004-08 for hedge trimming, lawn mowing and border work at her home near Thirsk.

Figures revealed by the Daily Telegraph state that Miss McIntosh also claimed expenses for mouse poison and two mousetraps for her rented home.

The report adds that she has also failed to provide proof of a £621 a month rent on her home which she has claimed for.

Yet Miss McIntosh, who was elected to Westminster in 1997, says she has done nothing wrong in claiming the expenses.

She said: "I am one of the lowest claimers and all I claim for is purely to perform as a MP and as a parliamentarian.

"The circumstances have changed now for what you can claim for and David Cameron has taken a very firm lead on expenses.

"The public are very angry about this as they believe it borders on the criminal. The priority now is to make our allowances more transparent."

She added that she had shown evidence for her rental claim when asked to by Westminster.

Miss McIntosh said that the Conservatives had published their expenses on-line since last Autumn.

Due to electoral changes Miss McIntosh will contest the newly formed Thirsk and Malton seat at the next General Election.

Howard Keal, the Lib-Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for the seat, said: "In the event of being elected I wouldn't dream of wasting taxpayers money on processing these claims let alone making them.

"As for Miss McIntosh spending thousands of pounds on gardening all I can say is that she has dug a very large hole with it, and not just in the public purse."