THE district’s three MPs have defended their cost to the taxpayer after it emerged that together they have claimed more than £300,000 on second home allowances.

Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing lives in Theydon Bois, on the Central Line, but also owns a flat in London for which she claimed £117,445 between 2001 and 2007.

She said she had to maintain two homes to be an efficient MP but admitted the system should be overhauled adding: “It needs to be totally reviewed. We need to have a much clearer system because it leads to confusion.”

Ongar MP Eric Pickles claimed £91,501 for a flat he owns in Wapping, but said his expenses were ‘very modest’ and he needed his second home for the long hours he worked.

Harlow MP Bill Rammell, whose constituency includes Roydon, Sheering and Nazeing, has claimed £101,292 in additional costs allowance.

He said: "I, like MP's of all parties have claimed the additional costs allowance, as has been published and reported locally.

There is a case for this allowance but I have come to the view that we need root and branch reform.

The public has lost confidence in the system and therefore although I am entitled to the allowance, have been in the bottom 25 per cent of claimants and have always claimed in line with the rules, I have recently stopped claiming the allowance completely.

"I welcome the fact that there is now going to be a complete review of how the allowance system operates."