TORIES have hit back after Ukip accused MP Rebecca Harris of putting too much on her parliamentary expenses.

Jamie Huntman, Ukip’s parliamentary candidate for Castle Point, criticised Conservative incumbent Mrs Harris for claiming back money spent on coffee for interns.

Castle Point Conservative Association branded the comments “pathetic” and said the interns helped to deal with thousands of pieces of casework.

Chairman Colin MacLean said: “All of Rebecca’s expenses and staffing costs are fully published and accessible on the internet and every year she has been among the lowest claimers of all MPs.

“The interns Rebecca has in her office are young people from around Castle Point who are looking for work experience, who cannot afford the rail and lunch expenses every day, who are doing real work for the people of Castle Point and who are paid out of her own staffing budget.

“The fact Jamie Huntman is trying to make political capital out of it is frankly pathetic.”

The political spat started after the Echo revealed Mr Huntman, who is Ukip group leader on Essex County Council, was using £20,000 of EU cash to run an office for the party’s European MPs at his business, in Bowers Gifford.

Mr Huntman, who polls suggest is just one point behind Mrs Harris in the race for Castle Point, said the office was cheap compared to Mrs Harris’s, for which she claimed £142,000 in expenses in 2013-14. He added he would pay for coffee for interns out of his own pocket.

Echo: Rebecca Harris MP - making her speech in ParliamentRebecca Harris MP

Mrs Harris declined to respond to the criticism, but Mr MacLean said: “This is outrageous. What councillor Huntman has conveniently overlooked is Rebecca does not claim any personal expenses. Rebecca’s parliamentary office deals with thousands of pieces of casework from Castle Point residents every year.

“Helping residents with problems is exactly how taxpayers’ money should be spent.

“We are running a positive election campaign highlighting all of the good work which Rebecca has carried out since 2010. We leave the negative stuff to other candidates.”

Joe Cooke, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Castle Point, said: “I don’t have any issues about establishing a political office and such, but what I do have a problem with is Ukip leader Nigel Farage saying it’s going to be a straight fight, but all the while the Ukip campaign from Jamie Huntman seems to be about knocking hardworking politicians locally.”