SOUTH West Devon MP Gary Streeter claimed just over £66,000 in expenses on his Plympton home in South Devon over a three-year period.

Mr Streeter has released details of all his second home allowance claims between April 2005 and March last year as the controversy over MPs' expenses continues.

But the Conservative MP looks set to avoid criticism after spending less than £500 on non-essential items.

Files dating back to before April 2005 have apparently been destroyed by the Commons fees office, but Mr Streeter said he had always taken care when claiming back expenses and hoped "a fresh wind" would blow through Westminster in the wake of the scandal.

The taxpayer did foot the bill for two rugs, some curtains and a number of small household goods – but the bulk of the £66,086.64 claimed by the MP came in the form of mortgage interest payments, council tax and utility bills.

Mr Streeter did not claim a penny for hotel stays during the three years and spent £175 on repairs, insurance and security at his Colebrook property.

Unlike some Westminster colleagues, he also held back from claiming the full £400 monthly food allowance, regularly spending less than half of that. Mr Streeter said he had never been tempted to take liberties with the system, partly due to his Christian faith.

One receipt even shows how the frugal MP made sure the taxpayer wasn't charged for a 40p Cadbury's Creme Egg he had bought alongside claimable items.

Mr Streeter said: "I've always tried to play it straight. I've always claimed within the letter and spirit of the rules. I haven't made a capital gain.

"Apart from the running costs and a portion of the permitted food allowance, the only other claim is for two rugs from Larry Speare and a pair of curtains, which were half-price. It's been a miserable time at Westminster recently and although I'm pleased to get my expenses out in the open, we all get tarred with the same brush."

The former minister said he anticipated further resignations before voters regained their faith in the system. He said: "It's important for democracy for people to know this information, and we've already seen a bit of a clearout. The scandal of MPs' expenses has damaged the reputation of Parliament. I understand the anger felt about these revelations.

"There's now a strict system in place and the wrong-doers will be leaving us. I think it'll be like a fresh wind blowing through the Commons and in the medium term it'll be a good thing.

"In the end our democracy will be strengthened by these dramatic events."

The figures follow Tuesday's announcement that "robust" restrictions were to be placed on expenses.

These include a ban on claiming back cleaning costs – of which Mr Streeter spent over £1,000 – and a £1,250-a-month cap on mortgage interest payments, which may also impact on the MP. The emergency regime effectively bans the practice of "flipping" main and second homes for the rest of 2009-10, with immediate effect.

LINDA Gilroy, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton, is to repay nearly £2,000 after the discovery of "errors" in her expense claims. In a statement released last night, Mrs Gilroy said she would be making out a cheque to the parliamentary fees office made up of an unspecified double claim for one month in 2005/6 totalling £1,570.90, and also for council tax for 2005, that was also over-claimed to the tune of £320.10 – a total of £1,891.

It followed a meeting with an official from the fees office yesterday.

Mrs Gilroy published her claims for her second home in London, which she rents, on her website.

Mrs Gilroy says she is still "out of pocket" for failing to claim on a number of bills in 2004/05. "This situation shows very clearly why receipting and publishing of all claims as they happen is a good essential," she said.