A BOLTON MP has come under criticism for renting out a home he bought with the help of public money.

Sir David Crausby was one of a number of politicians revealed in a list of MPs that are claiming money to rent flats in London despite already owning homes in the capital partially funded through public mortgage payments.

Campaigners have slammed the practice, calling it “scandalous”.

An investigation by The Mirror newspaper found Bolton North East representative Mr Crausby has claimed £168,517 for renting a second home since 2010.

This is despite buying a property with his wife in 2003 which was then backed by £51,724 in mortgage interest payments between 2004 and 2009.

The home is now worth around £716,000 and the newspaper said a woman living there confirmed she was a tenant of the Crausbys.

While the practice is not against the rules, campaign group Defend Council Housing slammed the MPs involved, calling the system a “gravy train”.

The group wants to see more efforts made to stop the sale of council housing.

Chair Eileen Short said: "It's things like this that are discrediting MPs opening up the gulf between people and politicians."

She added: "I don't this is the fault of one MP but what I think we are entitled to is that they do something about the problems facing the rest of us."

Mr Crausby has been the MP for Bolton North East since May 1997 and received a knighthood in the 2017 New Years Honours List.

Labour MP Mr Crausby is not the only politician to be caught out by this scandal, with Conservative trade secretary Liam Fox and two others also named.

Dr Fox has claimed as much as £150,000 for his London home since 2012 and his register of interests reveals he earns over £10,000 a year renting out his other house, which taxpayers helped to buy in 1995 for £116,995.

He claimed £63,785 in mortgage interest payments between 2004 and 2009 but was ordered to pay back more than £22,000. The property is now worth £727,000, according to The Mirror's research.

Philip Davies, MP for Shipley in West ­Yorkshire, is said to have claimed for rent £147,775 since 2010 despite having used £58,247 in mortgage interest on a home he now owns in London from 2005 to 2009.

Finally, Robert ­Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, claimed £41,628 in mortgage payments between 2006 and 2009 and a further £123,000 in rent for a different property since 2012.

Mr Crausby was unavailable for comment.