Plymouth Tory MP Johnny Mercer told to pay back £930

Johnny Mercer has been ordered to pay back hundreds of pounds he wrongly claimed on expenses.

The Tory MP, who represents Plymouth Moor View, was told to pay back more than £900 following an investigation by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

The investigation into Mr Mercer was launched after two complaints were received from unnamed members of the public in November 2017.

The complainants accused the MP of using taxpayers’ money for “electioneering”, after his constituency office phone bills went up from an average of £100 a month to £660 in March 2016.

But Mr Mercer denied the lines were used for canvassing and said the increased cost was in fact due to his phone system being “hacked” and used to make calls to Albania.

Following the probe, the IPSA found “absolutely no evidence” to find the breaches were “anything other than genuine oversights”.

Mr Mercer was subsequently told to repay £931.20 to the watchdog, which he has now paid.