SIR Michael Spicer says his expenses claim for work on the family ‘helipad’ and thousands of pounds in gardening and maintenance bills for his home is perfectly acceptable.

The Conservative MP for West Worcestershire defended his use of taxpayer’s cash to pay for £106,141 of work on his house in Cropthorne, near Evesham over the last five years which has no mortgage.

Sir Michael, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, was asked if he felt his expenses claim was “extravagant” but replied that he believed his claim was ‘acceptable’ and that views on expenses were ‘a question of fashion’ .

He said: “I do think it is acceptable. There was an allowance and it’s an expensive business running two houses. If people say you should not claim your allowance then that’s a different world, a world I wasn’t in.”

Sir Michael also said the ‘helipad’ was an area of stone measuring six metres by six metres, not a real helipad.

He added: “A helicopter would never dream of going on it. It’a joke."

Sir Michael has now written a letter to his constituents defending his claim and explaining his position which will be sent out to all those who write to him on the issue.

The MP has employed a man at his home for the last 30 years for gardening, maintenance and security which he said had been ‘a serious problem in the past’.

Sir Michael accepted the bulk of the figures mentioned in the article but denied that he had claimed £620 for the installation of a chandelier, which he described as a modest light fitting ‘the size of a football’ which he paid for out of his own pocket.

He also objected to his house in Cropthorne being described as a ‘manor house’ in The Daily Telegraph, describing it instead as a house with three double bedrooms and two single bedrooms.