Leicester East MP Keith Vaz's announcement that he has given back some of his second home allowance came as new details about his expenses were revealed yesterday.

Among his other claims, Mr Vaz paid £3,876 of taxpayers' money for new John Lewis furniture for his city office around 18 months ago, writes political reporter Martin Robinson.

Invoices show he bought seven items on November 30, 2007, with his biggest purchases being £1,590 for a pair of sofas and £595 for a matching armchair. He also bought a sideboard for £495; a bookcase for £650 and a small cupboard for £150.

In the same financial year, he four times claimed the maximum food allowance of £400 a month, including during August, while Parliament was in recess.

Mr Vaz said in a statement that it was the first time in 20 years he had claimed for office furniture.

He said: "That was the only year that I have claimed for new furniture in my office.

"The last time was when I set up my office in 1987.

"Each month, approximately 80 constituents visit my office. This amounts to over 14,000 constituents in the last 22 years.

"We needed this furniture. I have never claimed rent for my office. This has saved the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds in the last 22 years."

On the food issue, he said: "I claimed for what I spent. Since April 1, 2009, I have decided no longer to claim for food, irrespective of the recommendations of the Kelly Report. I have also decided from April 1, 2009, only to claim for additional costs allowance when Parliament is in session."

From now on, he will be publishing his expense claims online every four months.

He said: "I very much welcome the publication of MPs' allowances online, this will hopefully go some way in restoring the confidence of the public.

"It is essential that the process is transparent and accountable to the electorate.

"I have also decided to publish my expenses on my website www.keithvaz.labour.org.uk so that they are openly available to all my constituents who wish to view them."

It was revealed last month that during a three-year period between 2004 and 2007, Mr Vaz claimed more than £69,000 for a flat in Westminster, despite his family home being just 12 miles from Parliament.

The money was used to pay for monthly mortgage interest payments, grocery and cleaning bills.

In May 2007, he switched his designated second home from his £545,000 London flat to a house in the Humberstone area of Leicester. It was at this address that he made about £16,000 of claims for furniture and furnishing, the money that he has now repaid.