TORY MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter claimed £1,000 of taxpayers' cash to decorate the bathroom of his second home.

He also used public money to have a 'stain-free' tweed claret carpet fitted in his lounge at a cost of nearly £790.

The MP pointed out it was the first time in 17 years he had used taxpayers' funds to decorate his Devon property, which is his designated second home.

His were among hundreds of thousands of MPs receipts published yesterday , relating to claims for staying away from their 'main' home.

They cover 2008-09 and the first quarter of 2009-10, including the period starting in May this year during which the Daily Telegraph published details of previous expense claims, sparking massive public outrage.

While edited to conceal sensitive information such as account numbers, addresses and signatures, they were not as heavily 'censored' as those released earlier this year in swathes of black ink.

Claims by Colin Breed, Lib Dem MP for South East Cornwall, showed he submitted regular claims for food, and then the £25 daily subsistence allowance, which replaced it.

He also charged the taxpayer for receiving the Virgin Media TV package including the Sportspack, and claimed £2,000 for new storage heaters at his second home.

The published claims showed that Labour MP for Plymouth Devonport Alison Seabeck was saving cash, even before the spotlight fell on MPs' expenses, by using old boards from the garage when she had a floor laid in her utility room after a leak.

Using lino that was also on special offer, the bill for the work came to £518.

Ms Seabeck added: "I had a massive leak, wrecking the floor.

"To save money, I knew I had some floorboards in the garage."

And the documents revealed she was threatened with legal action over an outstanding phone bill totalling £87.32, which was duly paid. Ms Seabeck explained she had not been receiving bills before the final demand.

The bulk of claims by Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton Linda Gilroy related to renting her London flat, with just a handful submitted for utility and council tax bills. There was a single £105 claim made for cleaning carpets and windows.

Mr Streeter, who claims mortgage interest on his second home, had his bathroom decorated this April at a cost of £1006.25. The previous year he had repair work carried out on his property at a cost of £595.

In March this year he claimed for two 'Sharat' rugs at a cost of £289.99.

Mr Streeter said: "It's the first time in 17 years I've used public funds to do any decoration on our second home, using local workers, but of course that's now stopped by the new rules, so it will be the first and last time."

In total, the four MPs claimed more than £77,000 for their second homes in 2008-09. Mr Streeter claimed £23,588.68, Mrs Gilroy £18,874.69, Ms Seabeck £17,959.68 and Mr Breed £16,815.87. The total amount which could be claimed that year was £24,006.