MP Foster to pay back £4,000

bath | drugs and crime | news report Wednesday October 14, 2009 13:00 by A Digger - Class War - Bath

What about all the rest of the money you have scammed from the taxpayer Foster

Foster caught out, yet again, with his snout in the trough of public funds.

Bath MP Don Foster is to pay back just over £4,000 in expenses claimed in connection with the mortgage on his London flat.

The 62-year-old Liberal Democrat has been told by former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg that an arrangement cleared by the Commons authorities in 2005 was unacceptable.

The MP is one of many who have been asked to repay expenses by Sir Thomas, who has audited claims made since 2004.

In a statement, Mr Foster said: "For the avoidance of doubt about the propriety of my actions, I have agreed to repay in full the effective increase in mortgage interest payments of approximately £900 a year since that time."

The total he will be paying back will be £4,082.02.

Mr Foster has a former council flat in Pimlico, where in recent years he has also claimed £6000 for improvements to the bathroom and £12000 on a new kitchen

Foster added "Not to worry when I come to sell my ex council flat I will pocket a huge profit at taxpayers expense."