BURNLEY MP Kitty Ussher has repaid more than £1,200 in parliamentary expenses, it has been revealed.

The outgoing Labour MP has failed in her attempts to overturn the demand made by Sir Thomas Legg, whose final report is published later this week.

The former civil servant had advised Ms Ussher to pay back £1,271.65 in building and refurbishment to her kitchen.

Her appeal, to former judge Sir Paul Kennedy, failed after he refused to consider the reasons for her objections.

Today she repaid the full amount.

The work related to her London residence, which was her designated second home at the time.

She said: “In 2008 I made a claim for some of the costs of necessary building and refurbishment work in the kitchen.

“The claim was deemed valid and paid in full by the House of Commons. As a result I did not claim for some of the routine mortgage interest and utility costs for that year.

“Sir Thomas Legg has now said retrospectively that there should have been a limit on this type of work and recommended that I pay back “I appealed this decision as I thought it odd that I should be expected to comply with a rule that had not existed at the time, and of which nobody had any knowledge.

Ms Ussher went on to say: "In judging my appeal, Sir Paul Kennedy has now said it is not within his remit to address this point so I have paid back the recommended amount.

"I hope that this can now draw a line under the matter and that parliament can now be allowed to get on with the important task of devising a better system for the future."

Ms Ussher is standing down at the general election.