MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has called on town MP Sir Stuart Bell and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar to hold public meetings in their constituencies over the issue of Parliamentary expenses.

Mr Mallon said: “I believe such public meetings will be the best way to reassure the public that our two Members of Parliament have nothing to hide.

“Nationally the expenses scandal has caused a lot of anger and locally I have received more correspondence about it than any other subject.

“There seems to be a general acceptance in Parliament that mistakes were made and a new system is needed but it is only by being open and honest about the past that we can draw a line under the subject and move on.

“The public have every right to be angry and they are entitled to ask Members of Parliament questions about their expenses and it is the duty of those Members of Parliament to answer those questions openly and honestly.”

Mr Mallon has written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson asking him to investigate whether any criminality had taken place over the nationwide expenses saga.

He has since had a reply thanking him for his letter and confirming police will be considering the matter along with other agencies.

“I have not seen anything to suggest that any of our local Members of Parliament have done anything criminal although I have been surprised at some of the reported expense claims,” said Mr Mallon.

“I think there is a lot of confusion and anger within the public domain and properly organised public meetings will help to give constituents the answers they seek.

“This in turn will help them to come to an informed judgement on how the two Members of Parliament have conducted themselves.

“In addition, I do believe every Member of Parliament across the country should be holding public meetings about this very important subject, but I would hope that Sir Stuart Bell and Ashok Kumar will open themselves to such public scrutiny.

“It would also be in the interests of the whole of the Tees area if Vera Baird, Frank Cook, Dari Taylor, Iain Wright and Alan Milburn organised their own public meetings, so that their constituencies can hold them to account.

“The Prime Minister has made it clear he expects Members of Parliament to engage on this matter with constituents and I feel this is the best way of doing that.

“Any such public meeting needs to be properly organised and should not be allowed to descend into a slanging match – that will not achieve anything. People should be given the chance to ask questions and the Member of Parliament should be given the chance to answer.”

Mr Mallon said he was prepared to chair the two proposed meetings involving Sir Stuart Bell and Ashok Kumar.