Ashamed MP Viggers says sorry for claim (From This is Hampshire)

Ashamed MP Viggers says sorry for claim

10:10am Monday 25th May 2009 in

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HAMPSHIRE MP Sir Peter Viggers has spoken of his shame and humiliation over his expenses claim for an island for the ducks in his pond.

He said that including the island in his taxpayer-funded second home claims was a “ridiculous and grave error of judgement”.

The ducks had never liked the feature and it was no longer being used, he added.

The veteran MP was forced to announce that he was retiring at the next election after details of the claims were published last week.

Among them were £30,000 towards gardening at his home, including £500 for manure and £1,645 on the ‘floating duck island’ for his pond.

However, it is not clear whether he was in fact reimbursed for the duck home, as a Commons official wrote “not allowable” by the side of the claim.

In a statement today, Sir Peter said: “I have made a ridiculous and grave error of judgment. I am ashamed and humiliated and I apologise.

“As has been reported, my claim for the duck house was rightly ‘not allowed’ by the Fees Office.

“I paid for it myself and in fact it was never liked by the ducks and is now in storage.

“Gosport is my home town and I have always worked hard for constituents. I am very proud to have been a Member of Parliament.”

Tory sources indicated that Sir Peter would be repaying a five-figure sum after his claims were ruled excessive by an internal Conservative scrutiny panel. He said today that the prospect of any repayments would be considered “in due course”.

Sir Peter, 71, who has been MP for Gosport since 1974, was told by Tory leader David Cameron to either quit or be fired when the claim was disclosed.