BARNSLEY MP Eric Illsley has been ordered to pay back the cost of letters he sent out to constituents during the run up to the May council elections.

He wrote to 1,700 people living in the area around the hospital using House of Commons stationary and prepaid envelopes to ask their views on the proposed residents' parking scheme.

It was a controversial issue and the opposition accused him of pushing Labour's cause by the content of the letters.

Local independent councillor Sandra Birkinshaw wrote to a parliamentary standards watchdog to complain that it was party political ploy and therefore should not have been paid for out of the public purse.

The Standards and Privileges committee has now ruled he has to stump up the cost of the letters himself.

Its report states: “Mr Illsley is a very experienced member of the house and, notwithstanding the pressure imposed by the fact that the controlled parking zone was to come into force very soon, he should in our view have recognised that both the nature of the references, and the timing of the letter so close to the local elections, would have created an impression that one aim of his initiative was to promote the Labour candidates, particularly the labour candidate in the marginal Darton West ward.”

The correspondence, which was deemed ‘inappropriate’ by the standards commissioner is expected to cost Mr Illsley around £500.

Mr Illsley said: “I accept the decision made by my colleagues but I do not agree with it, I have always said the letter was about the parking issues and not politics and I stand by that.”