SOUTHEND West Conser-vative MP David Amess claimed more than £1,500 on expenses for website design and hosting.

However, the only website the Echo has been able to find dedicated to Mr Amess contained just one picture and no information about him, besides the statement he was the MP for Southend West.

Yesterday, a spokesman at MP’s London office was unable to confirm the web address to which of Mr Amess’s claim related or if it had ever gone live.

He said he would ask Mr Amess to call us back, but the MP did not contact us yesterday.

The Conservative party is encouraging all its MPs, prospective candidates and constituency associations to set up their own websites to boost its modern image.

Southend East and Rayleigh and Rochford Conservative associations already have their own websites, as do their MPs, James Duddridge and Mark Francois.

Mr Francois’s website admits it is paid for by money claimed on his Parliamentary expenses.