NEARLY £5,000 worth of food in a year, £10,000 for roof repairs and £881 to refurbish a Chesterfield sofa.

These are just some of the expenses claims submitted by Christchurch MP Christopher Chope.

The 62-year-old, who employs his wife, Christine, as a secretary, was one of only four Conservative MPs and a total of 32 who claimed the full food allowance of £4,800 in 2007/08. The average was just over £1,800.

But he has defended the claims saying he eats out a lot because his second home in London is not as close to the House of Commons as those of some other MPs.

“Some MPs use their allowances in one way and some use their allowances in other ways,” he said. “The food allowance is simply a subsistence allowance and there is a ceiling of £400 per month.”

Mr Chope said he claimed the full £400 each month but that he spent more than that on eating out. MPs are not required to produce food receipts.

Others who claimed the full amount include Charles Clarke, former Home Secretary, Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe and Home Office Minister Phil Woolas.

Analysis of Mr Chope’s expenses claims also revealed a bill for £10,377 for roof repairs, guttering and ceilings at the 200-year-old London home he co-owns with his wife.

It has also been revealed that he brought his Chesterfield from his London home to a specialist in Christchurch so it could be stripped down and re-covered.

Second-home allowances including mortgage payments, utility bills, council tax, repairs and maintenance run into tens of thousands of pounds.

Mr Chope was keen to point out that he did not claim a communications allowance, even though he would have been entitled to do so because: “It appears to be for propaganda and I do not think it is the right thing to do.”

He said he is happy that details of expenses are now online and said: “Now it is there for everyone to look at – they can look at the details.”

He said he believes MPs in the Dorset area are “pretty good value” and added: “They are well down the expenses league table.”