IMMIGRATION minister Phil Woolas has spoken of his personal nightmare after coming under fire in the MPs' expenses scandal.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP was accused of claiming for items including a £23 pair of women's shoes and a £5.75 bottle of nail polish.

He is now taking legal action over the allegations which he has described as 'totally wrong'.

It was said that a supermarket receipt for £210 proved he had claimed for non-food items, which also included three comics and a ladies' jumper.

But Mr Woolas said he can prove that the allegations against him are false and that he only ever claimed for food, as he was entitled to do.

Under the current rules, MPs can claim up to £400 a month for food without submitting receipts to the Commons Fees Office.

But as one of those campaigning for reform and transparency, Mr Woolas submitted detailed receipts with his food claims, even though he did not need to.

Naive

"That is why I feel so naïve and hard done by," he said, revealing the majority of his expenses to the M.E.N., with the rest to follow shortly. All are to be published on his website.

"I feel particularly hard done by on the accusation some of the supermarket receipts had personal items on them, because these were not part of the claim."

His detailed expenses claims show he claimed up to £1,020 in monthly mortgage interest for his three-bed house in London. Other items regularly claimed include £70-a-month for a cleaner, rising to £84 in later years.

Until last summer Mr Woolas employed a gardener/odd job man for between £40 and £68 a month.

Mr Woolas said that MPs from outside London still needed support.

He said: "We want MPs to be from ordinary backgrounds. I couldn't have afforded to have been an MP when I was elected and lived in London and I think it's right that we do have allowances. But clearly the pendulum has swung too far."