EXPENSE claims for MPs in Worcestershire topped £500,000 last year, new figures reveal.

Fresh data published by parliamentary authorities show how the overall cost of MPs for 2013/14 topped the 2009 scandal, with £103 million forked out by taxpayers.

West Worcestershire MP Harriet Baldwin and Sir Peter Luff, who represents Mid-Worcestershire, managed to buck national trends by cutting their costs, but elsewhere the bills rose.

Worcester MP Robin Walker cost the public £143,857 last year, an increase of £9,000 which he blamed on "hugely increased workloads".

Last year he decided to employ another part-time case worker two days a week, which was eventually increased to three days, to help out in his office on constituent queries.

His bills included £113,576 on staffing, £12,857 on other office costs like IT, utilities and stationery and £6,481 on travel which included claims for paying London's congestion charge.

His also claimed £10,942 on accommodation, which went on rent for his house in Powick.

Mr Walker used to own a flat in central Worcester but sold it in 2012, and now rents a house in Powick with wife Charlotte which he claims around £900 a month for.

He also has a mortgage on a London flat which he pays for out of his own earnings.

"Because of the sheer volume of work coming in, I hired a part-time case worker to help out and that's why my costs are up," he said.

"I do try to keep costs down although I know there is no perfect way of doing things."

Mr Luff's costs fell £6,000 to £128,710, although he told your Worcester News he had "no idea" why.

It included £93,309 on staffing, £8,168 on office costs, £7,133 on travel but a whopping £20,100 on accommodation.

Mr Luff claimed £1,600 a month rent on his central London flat, the maximum amount he was allowed, although he claimed it was "the minimum possible to do my job".

He said under the rules he could not claim for the mortgage payments on his Worcester home, so he did for his flat in the capital.

"I spend what I need to do my job, nothing more," he said.

Mrs Baldwin's claims also bucked the trend, falling from £165,000 to £154,412.

It included £17,636 on her office costs, £124,792 on staff, £7,190 on travel and just £4,072 on accommodation.

The former City worker owns both her house in London and her family home in Shelsley Beauchamp, near Malvern and claims for utility bills on it.

The data has been published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Mrs Baldwin said: "I welcome the scrutiny the IPSA carries out in this task but I do think the cost of politics is still too high."

Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier's claims totalled £184,062, up £4,000 on the previous year.