EXPENSES claims by Oxfordshire’s MPs broke the £50,000 mark in six months.

Henley MP John Howell tops the table with £14,125 in claims while at the other end Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has clawed back just £4,224 from the taxpayer.

Claims paid so far range from rent for a London flat at £1,450 per month to a box of paper clips for 14p.

The latest figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) show Tory MP Mr Howell claimed £9,470 in accommodation expenses for his Westminster flat between April and September 2014, including rent, council tax and bills.

The remainder of his claims are made up of staffing at £3,275, office costs of £951 and travel at £428 for a member of staff using their own vehicle in the constituency.

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Mr Howell said: “The use of the flat I rent allows me to fulfil my Parliamentary duties in Westminster – working and voting late into the night.”

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood has clocked up £11,703 in claims, including £6,484 in accommodation costs for a flat in Westminster.

The Tory MP’s office costs have reached £5,219 including a pack of four batteries at 49p and paper clips for 14p.

Ms Blackwood said: “Before I was elected, I committed to claiming only office costs, staffing and London accommodation in order to do the best job possible for my constituents.

“I am very conscious that every penny I spend must be accounted for to my constituents, and I think that is exactly how it should be.”

Labour’s Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, had a total bill of £6,160, including a paper shredder costing £1,008, two desktop printers for £154 and a foot pedal for dictation transcription costing £110.

Mr Smith has not claimed for any accommodation but has submitted receipts totalling £1,279 in travel costs, including £1,181 for use of his own car.

He said: “As I help thousands of constituents each year, there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be disposed of securely, which is why it needs to be shredded.”

Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry’s office costs totalled £6,253, with rent accounting for £2,572 and registration to the House of Commons-based Policy Research Unit (PRU), which provides services to Tory MPs, costing £2,582.

Travel costs of £1,058 covered car journeys to and from London.

He said: “The Policy Resources Unit is a research unit which gives very good value research and support to Members of Parliament.”

Prime Minister David Cameron obviously has his accommodation provided in London and has made claims of £5,515 in office costs, staff and travel in the first half of the financial year.

Staff costs include £3,006 subscription fees to the PRU and £711 in payments to work experience students for lunches and £36 for car use and train, taxi and coach travel.

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has kept his costs the lowest of all six local MPs, with claims so far of just £4,224.

Accommodation fees of £944 include buildings insurance, electricity, service charges and phone calls. Travel costs of £1,163 included £492 own car use between Wantage and London, £203 staff vehicle costs and £328 in train travel.

Office charges include £567 for advertising his services in local newsletters and publications, plus £20 to buy the web address www.vaizey.com