A LABOUR MP who tried to claim almost £1,500 to spruce up his garden declined to speak last night as he emerged from a constituency party meeting.

Frank Cook, who represents Stockton North, repeated "no comment" as he left.

Earlier in the week, Bob Gibson, the Stockton North Constituency Labour Party chairman, had criticised Mr Cook for submitting a Commons expense claim for replanting and paving at his London home. Coun Gibson had said: "I think the average person in Stockton North would be aghast."

However, as Coun Gibson, who is also Stockton Borough Council's leader, arrived last night, he said Mr Cook was not attending -possibly unaware he was already inside.

Coun Gibson also declined to comment as he left the meeting more than two hours later. Asked if Mr Cook had been deselected as MP by the local party, he only said: "There's no comment and none of us will say anything."

When pressed, he added: "Look, are you daft, how many more times?" Other Labour Party members also declined to comment.

Later, via his mobile phone, Mr Cook was asked if he had been deselected as MP. Laughing, he said: "It was a very good meeting."

A Commons official had rejected the £1,450 claim to revamp a derelict garden at his £500,000 house because it could be considered excessive.

Mr Cook later said it was "not a hell of a lot of money", adding: "Do my constituents want me to live in a garden surrounded by jungle?"

Last night's constituency meeting was routine, although members had been expected to raise the matter