THE parliamentary expenses scandal has enveloped the Westcountry once more after MPs were urged to repay thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money.

Whitehall mandarin Sir Thomas Legg has asked Gary Streeter (Con, South West Devon), Linda Gilroy (Lab, Plymouth Sutton) and Adrian Sanders (Lib-Dem, Torbay) to return some of the claims made over a five-year period.

The provisional findings of the audit into parliamentary expenses also queried claims made by a number of the region's elected representatives.

It asked them to supply further information on household bills and mortgages or risk also having to give money back.

Veteran MP Anthony Steen (Con, Totnes), who made £88,000 worth of expense claims – which included funds for the upkeep of his million-pound Devon mansion – and who is to step down at the General Election, refused to comment.

However, he is expected to face close scrutiny over his gardening claims, including payments for tree surgery and guarding his shrubs against rabbits, as a result of the introduction of caps on claims for second homes.

But some politicians were last night furious with Sir Thomas, who they claim has strayed beyond his remit by applying retrospective limits on legitimate expenses.

One Westcountry MP claimed the auditor had "lost the plot" and that the review was "farcical", adding: "He (Sir Thomas) is all over the place.

"Talking to MPs across the parties, nobody knows how he has reached these decisions, or why."

Party leaders of the three main political parties were the first to publicly declare the contents of their missives, and all agreed to abide by Sir Thomas's interim report.

Mr Streeter was invited to repay £2,600 for a number of "inadvertently mistaken claims" relating to mortgage interest, council tax and water rates and Mrs Gilroy faces having to pay back more cash on top of the £2,000 she has already repaid.

Mr Sanders has agreed to repay nearly £700 claimed after temporary changes to rental arrangements.

In a statement, Mr Streeter said: "I am checking his figures, but once this is done, I will pay the final claim in full so that we can all draw a line. I do not intend to make any further comment."

Mrs Gilroy said Sir Thomas's assessment was more than the £2,055 she had already repaid after errors came to light relating to her second home expenses, but would not give an exact amount ahead of making representations.

Mrs Gilroy said: "His total is different. I think I can see why. I will be asking him to consider why I think it's different. Whatever he determines in the end, I will pay."

Mr Sanders had been overpaid £691 in rent after Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2005 General Election. Temporary changes are usually made by the Fees Office during election periods and reduced sums paid.

He said: "I shall remit the full sum of £691 Sir Thomas has calculated that I was overpaid without delay."

A number of Westcountry MPs were spared being asked for repayments, but were requested to supply the review with more information before Sir Thomas completes his audit in November.

Colin Breed (Lib-Dem, South East Cornwall), Nick Harvey (Lib-Dem, North Devon) and Dan Rogerson (Lib-Dem, North Cornwall) are to supply more information over mortgage claims.

Alison Seabeck (Lab, Plymouth Devonport) has been asked to provide clarification over her mortgage and rental agreements, despite having previously provided it to the Westminster authorities.

Richard Younger-Ross (Lib-Dem, Teignbridge), who has already repaid £8,338, including claims for items such as mirrors and a hi-fi, said he had received a letter over the rent for his flat in London.

Meanwhile, Matthew Taylor (Lib-Dem, St Austell) condemned a series of "errors" apparent in the private letters. He said the Legg review queried a double claim of a £180 telephone bill – a question Mr Taylor said he resolved five years ago.

Julia Goldsworthy (Lib-Dem, Falmouth and Camborne) also said she intended to talk to the Legg team "immediately" to "request clarification" over why she has been asked to provide a mortgage statement from a period before she was elected as MP.

She had previously agreed to repay £1,000 claimed for a designer pink rocking chair.

A spokesman for Ben Bradshaw (Lab, Exeter) said Sir Thomas had raised a question about "£153 of council tax claims that Ben believes he can answer".

He added: "If not, he will of course repay it. Sir Thomas has also requested some more mortgage paperwork, which Ben is sending him."

David Laws (Lib-Dem, Yeovil) also received a "routine" request for a copy of a council tax receipt and Ian Liddell-Grainger (Con, Bridgwater) has been asked for more information about a payment in 2004.

Hugo Swire (Con, East Devon) would not say whether he had been invited to pay back any money but in a statement said he has been asked "to provide additional paperwork" and "will repay any money" if asked to do so.

Geoffrey Cox (Con, Torridge and West Devon), Angela Browning (Con, Tiverton and Honiton), Jeremy Browne (Lib-Dem, Taunton) and Andrew George (Lib-Dem, St Ives) were unavailable for comment.