WEST Derby MP Bob Wareing defended claiming £608 of taxpayers’ cash for cleaning his dirty laundry.

The veteran Parliamentarian ran up the bill at Celebrity Dry Cleaning, in Westminster.

Asked whether the public purse should meet the cost of his laundry bills, Mr Wareing said he had been told to make the claims by “someone in the Fees Office”.

Mr Wareing said: “It happens to be where my flat is. It was legitimate at the time.

“Someone in the Fees Office told me to do it, and if I’m told to do something I will.

“Now they’ve changed the rules. My suits are not being paid for by the taxpayer any more.”

He added that he had not claimed for his TV licence for 20 years, and that by not claiming for mortgages he had saved the taxpayer around £32,000.

But, asked if he intended to claim the money, he said: “I think I should.”

He added the majority of MPs were being tarnished by the extravagances of the few.

“We are getting a rough ride because of a few idiots who are claiming for things they shouldn’t be claiming for,” he said.