A Tory backbencher has racked up mobile phone bills of more than £1,000 a month, writes Simon Ward.

Bosworth MP David Tredinnick claimed £6,385.55 for calls and text messages made on his two Nokia handsets between March 2007 and March 2008.

His phone use peaked in February last year, when he made £1,361.79 worth of calls, claiming back £1,125.

Mr Tredinnick denied the bills were excessive. He said the majority were to constituents and colleagues using his in-car hands free, and he rarely used his office telephone.

He bought his business phones second-hand, for £85 each.

Mr Tredinnick, who has been MP for Bosworth since 1987, said his phones made him more accessible to constituents.

He said: "All MPs run their lives in different ways. I tend to make calls when I am out of the office.

"If you look at some of the other [expenses] categories, such as the communications allowance, I have not claimed anything under that."

Mr Tredinnick said he believed he had done all he could to ensure his phone contracts were providing the best value for money for taxpayers.

Details published yesterday also revealed he claimed the maximum £23,083 allowance towards the mortgage on his second home in 2007/08, £17,901 in 2006/07 and £17,688 in 2005/06.

Other items on which he claimed included two digital cameras, three computers, a fax machine and stationery, including five Parker fountain pens at £26.99 each.

Between February and March 2006 he claimed £210 for software from a new age astrology company and £300 on tuition sessions from the firm, Crucial Astro Tools, to learn to use it.

Mr Tredinnick said he had bought the software to help with a Parliamentary speech on alternative medicines and had cleared the claims with the Commons fees office.

He said he supported the publication of expense claims. He said: "People expect transparency and we should have recognised that some time ago."