FORMER Burnley MP Peter Pike claimed the most in expenses and allowances among East Lancashire Commons representatives last year.

Mr Pike's claims for 2004/2005 amounted to £152,162 on top of his £57,485 salary - slightly down on £153,989 last year - the first time figures were released.

It includes £8,338 to wind up his various offices after he stood down as an MP in May to be replaced by Kitty Ussher.

Mr Pike came 19th in the list of 659 MPs for claiming costs and expenses well behind top-of-the-league Geraint Davies (former Labour MP for Croydon), with £176,026. Last year the former Burnley MP justified his claims and said: "I pay the proper rates for my staff and my offices.

"I have a large office in Burnley employing the equivalent of two- and-a-half full-time staff to deal with the huge correspondence I receive.

"I have to have two homes in Burnley and London unlike the Prime Minister.

"I claim exactly what I spend and I am entitled to.''

In total the seven East Lancashire MPs claimed £932,494 - around the same as last year.

Next in line came Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson at 20th in the list who claimed £151,036 ( £135,779 last year).

Mrs Anderson said: "My expenses reflect the work I do for my constituents.

"The money I claim is to pay for my staff and the offices I run in Rossendale and Darwen and Westminster to look after their interests.''

Chorley's Lindsay Hoyle claimed £145,083 (£144,398 last year) while Nigel Evans received £129,936 (£141,910).

Pendle's Gordon Prentice claimed £124,350 (£123,419). Blackburn MP Jack Straw got £118,890 ( £106,858) on top of his Cabinet salary as Foreign Secretary of £130,347 while the lowest claimer was for the second year running Hyndburn MP Greg Pope who claimed £111,037. ( £106,271).

A House of Commons spokesman said that the expenses were claimed to enable MPs to do their jobs. Mr Pope said he claimed the proper union rates to do his job and pay his staff a reasonable salary.

The total figure claimed by MPs was £80,844,465 - a 3.8 per cent increase on the prevous year's £78,045,149.

The average claim was £122,678.