EXPENSE claims for MPs in Worcestershire topped £950,000 last year, new figures reveal.

Fresh data published by parliamentary authorities show how the overall cost of MPs for 2013/14 topped the 2009 scandal, with £103 million forked out by taxpayers.

Bromsgrove MP and Secretary of State for Culture Sajid Javid's claims totalled £158,927 compared to £151,678 in 2012/2013 - an increase of £7,249.

Bills included £135,309 on staffing, £18,805 on office costs like IT, utilities and stationery and £4,811 on travel.

He claimed nothing on accommodation, the same as last year.

Mr Javid declined to comment on the figures, which have been published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Droitwich MP Sir Peter Luff bucked a national trends by cutting his costs.

Mr Luff's costs fell £6,000 to £128,710, although he commented he had "no idea" why.

It included £93,309 on staffing, £8,168 on office costs, £7,133 on travel but a whopping £20,100 on accommodation.

Mr Luff claimed £1,600 a month rent on his central London flat - the maximum amount he was allowed - although he claimed it was "the minimum possible to do my job".

He said under the rules he could not claim for the mortgage payments on his Worcester home, so he did for his flat in the capital.

"I spend what I need to do my job, nothing more," he said.

Redditch MP Karen Lumley was the highest costing MP in the county claiming £187,726 last year, an increase of £17,463 on the previous year's total bill of £170,263.

Bills included £143,176 on staffing, £23,019 on office costs like IT, utilities and stationery and £5,569 on travel.

But she did claim £15,960 on accommodation, a slight fall from 2012/2013 from £16,311.

Defending the increase, Mrs Lumley said: "I would like to stress that, like all MPs, my bills for rent, office stationery and staff costs have all gone up but my office and I have worked hard to go on providing good value for my constituents."

Elsewhere in the county Worcester MP Robin Walker cost the public £143,857, an increase of £9,000, and Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier's claims totalled £184,062, up £4,000 on the previous year.