Andy Reed bagged a bargain in the January sales when shopping for furniture.

The Labour MP for Loughborough's published expenses receipts show he bought £3,400-worth of dining room furniture but got himself a 50% discount when he made the purchase in January 2006, writes Dan Martin.

Mr Reed claimed for a Melbourne dining table and six chairs costing £1,799 and a Melbourne display unit, at £1,599, before the discount as part of the £23,000 additional costs allowance he is permitted under the expenses system to deck out his second home, a small flat near Westminster.

The sale confirmation sheet has been blacked out so it is unclear where Mr Reed decided to buy his furniture but he has previously said most of his receipts would show him to be a regular shopper at Argos, Tesco and Ikea rather than more expensive stores.

Mr Reed also got £30 knocked off the cost of a £300 19-inch Sony computer monitor bought in October 2005. The receipt shows the reason for the reduction as damage/clearance.

The Leicester Mercury attempted to contact Mr Reed but he was unavailable for comment.

Mr Reed previously told the Mercury he lives from Monday to Thursday in the modest flat with a broken boiler which he has chosen not to claim the repair costs for.

The details of his claims show he paid £1,772 for a new bathroom suite in February 2007. They also show he claimed for the cost of a £60 bin in November 2006, among other items.

Mr Reed has blogged extensively on the expenses issue, saying MPs needed to be more open about the way they spend public money.

In a blog yesterday, following the publication of MPs' expenses, Mr Reed said: "Hopefully everybody having all this information is the only way to start to rebuild trust.

"I have commented regularly on this site about aspects of pay and allowances.

"I am sure people will react differently to some aspects of these claims.

"These are subjective opinions of course and I respect those who hold them."

The MP, who has been a long-term campaigner for reform of the controversial expenses system, had previously published his expenses on his website.

Overall in 2007-2008, he claimed £22,083 for his second home allowance. He owns the flat he lives in and has been claiming £1,180 a month on interest payments on his mortgage.

While he is entitled to a monthly food allowance of £400, the latest figures showed he actually claimed figures between £20 and £130.

He previously told the Leicester Mercury: "Some people may take issue with some of my claims but I feel it is right that MPs should be able to make their Westminster home comfortable.

"I spend a lot of time there, away from my main home and family.

"There's nothing extravagant about the place. It's so small you can practically stand in the middle and touch all four walls."