ONE of the South's Tory MPs used office expenses to pay for £6 wrapping paper and to fund life coaching classes for an employee, it has been revealed.

The girlfriend of Andrew Turner, Isle of Wight MP, who was employed as his assistant also wrote to the House of Commons to say that she would use the money claimed to spend on "lots of booze", it has been reported.

Carole Dennett emailed to the fees office to say that the drink she could buy would mean the 2005 General Election would pass in an "alcoholic blur".

Along with the Christmas wrapping paper from Matalan, Mr Turner also claimed for a member of staff to study GCSE maths at a cost of £240, but had a claim for a £424 camcorder and a £20 leaving gift turned down.

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Expenses totalling £6,471 were also used to pay for a compensation claim that resulted from an industrial tribunal after a former office manager was found to have been unfairly dismissed by Mr Turner's office in 2004.

He also submitted a claim for House of Common's cufflinks costing £20 and a £139 digital radio, despite having claimed for another one at £199 the previous year.

Mr Turner said that all costs resulting from a tribunal could legitimately be claimed on expenses and had been agreed by the fees office. He added the email from his partner to the Commons was a "private joke".