WALTHAM Forest Council threatened to take Iain Duncan Smith to court over four unpaid bills, the Guardian can reveal.

The Chingford and Woodford Green member was sent four final notice warnings in December 2006 asking for rent on space he used for his MP surgeries.

The letters from the council demanded Mr Duncan Smith pay the bills, totalling £60, "immediately" or face court proceedings.

A spokesman for the MP said the reason for the delay in paying the money was because he had claimed it on expenses, and that the Parliamentary Fees Office had been too slow in processing and paying the money.

The cash was paid back after the notices were received.

MPs are allowed to claim for expenses incurred from their surgeries.

The revelation comes as the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian examined Mr Duncan Smith's expenses today.

Many details of MPs expenses have now been published by Parliament online, but many details have been blacked out.

However Mr Duncan Smith said he wanted to be "fully open", so has allowed the Guardian to see unedited copies of his claims, including extra documents not released.

Consequently, the Guardian has also discovered that Mr Duncan Smith was accidentally paid £2,000 in February 2007 by the Fees Office when they confused him with another MP.

The money was instantly paid back when the mistake was realised.

Other expenses paid include £174.40 in February 2007 on a device to boost the sound quality of Mr Duncan Smith's telephone.

A spokesman for the MP said the BBC had pressured Mr Duncan Smith for the device in order to improve the quality of radio and TV interviews.

Mr Duncan Smith is one of the lowest claiming London MPs, and did not claim anything on his second home allowance last year.