MP claimed more than £4,000 towards London visits for kids

South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes has claimed thousands of pounds in expenses for his children to stay with him in his tax-funded London flat.

Mr Hayes’s sons William (15) and Edward (11) spend most of their time at the family home in Moulton but the Home Office security minister has claimed £4,850 above his annual rent allowance to cover the cost of them staying at the one-bedroom flat.

New rules were introduced in 2010 after parliament’s expenses scandal, meaning MPs can claim allowances to help cover the cost of accommodation for a child if they “can certify that the dependant routinely resides at the rented accommodation”.

In total, Mr Hayes has claimed £84,005, including the dependant supplement charge, since he started renting the one-bedroom flat in September 2012.

Independent Parlia-mentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) records show that since July 2012 he has made claims for eight return train journeys and 16 single journeys for his children to and from London.

In 2004, seven years after he was elected, Mr Hayes bought a three-bedroom flat in Westminster for £496,050 and under the old rules was able to claim £1,900 a month for the mortgage interest.

In May 2010 the new expenses rules were introduced but a transition period was allowed for sitting MPs who already owned a second home.

Mr Hayes continued to claim interest on his flat at £889 a month until September 2012, when he moved into smaller, rented accommodation.

In November 2012 he began to rent out his three-bedroom flat for £3,250 a month. He sold it for £1,387,500 in June 2014.

Mr Hayes says he has contacted Ipsa, which says he hasn’t broken any rules.

He was unavailable for further comment.