BOLTON’S MPs were last night facing an anxious wait to see if they must pay back part of their expenses claims from the past five years.

Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East, former Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, who represents Bolton West, and Bolton North East colleague David Crausby were due to receive letters from independent auditor Sir Thomas Legg yesterday.

Sir Thomas, a former civil servant, has conducted a review into Parliamentary expenses following the scandal over allowances which rocked British politics earlier this year.

Yesterday, it emerged Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to repay £12,000 claimed for gardening and maintenance at his second home and former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith apologised to the Commons after wrongly designating her family house as her second home for expenses.

At the time of going to press, neither Mr Crausby nor Dr Iddon had received their letter, which was being sent to MPs either clearing them of wrong-doing, ordering them to explain aspects of the their claims or, in some cases, asking for money to be refunded.

Ms Kelly, who angered constituents by charging taxpayers for designer furniture, electrical equipment and repair work at her Horwich home, refused to reveal whether she had received her letter yesterday morning.

A spokesman for her office in Westhoughton said: “Ruth feels it would be better to wait until the end of the process before giving any comment.”

Ivan Lewis, Bury South MP, and Bury North’s David Chaytor, who is being investigated by police over alleged expenses abuse, were not available for comment yesterday.

It was alleged Mr Chaytor claimed £12,925 towards a mortgage that had already been repaid.

MPs will be given three weeks to respond by Sir Thomas and Mr Brown said that any Parliamentarians ordered to pay back cash should do so immediately.

andrew.greaves@ theboltonnews.co.uk