FOLLOWING the Parliamentary expenses scandal, five East Lancashire MPs have repaid money, it has been revealed.

The details, contained in former civil servant Sir Thomas Legg report on members’ claims, show that in total £6,800 was handed back by our MPs.

Across the country, the demands for repayment totalled £1.1million, although a number of MPs made successful appeals against his findings.

The whole expenses issue quite rightly led to a public outcry when details of the allowances system were first uncovered last year.

People were shocked to learn just what our elected members could claim for regarding their second homes and day-to-day living expenses.

And at a time of recession, large sums to decorate these homes plus cleaning and gardening bills, let alone in one case paying for a moat to be cleared, seemed distasteful.

Much has been said and written on the issue of expenses over the past nine months since the scandal blew-up.

Promises have been made to reform the system and MPs will no doubt be much more careful in the future to ensure all claims are within the rules.

Now is the time to draw a line under the whole saga, learn from the lessons, and move on.