New pressure on Smith over expenses

Sources close to the Home Secretary insisted many of the items on receipts made public over the weekend had actually been paid for with her own money.

Ms Smith is expected to clarify what was funded by the taxpayer later this week, as she struggles to repair her reputation after a series of controversies.

Commons Standards Commissioner John Lyon is currently investigating whether the Redditch MP should have declared a rented room in her sister's London home as her main residence.

The arrangement has meant Ms Smith can claim up to £23,000 a year towards running her constituency home - where her children live.

She was also forced to apologise last week after it emerged that she had claimed £10 for two adult films, which were apparently watched by her husband.

According to the leaked receipts, Ms Smith has filed claims with the Commons authorities for around £150,000 towards the Redditch property since 2001.

The cash reportedly went on kitting out all parts of the house, including a £550 stone sink and console for the kitchen, £568.95 on two washing machines, and £119.99 on a Vax carpet cleaner. In the bathroom, £405.37 went on plumbing, nearly £500 on a shower mixer, and 88p on a bath plug.

Ms Smith's living room benefited from a £1,000 fireplace, a 32-inch flat screen TV costing £369.99 and a £575 armchair. The bill was boosted with £511.20 for a sofabed, £72 on four scatter cushions, and £110 on bed linen.

Outside, £104.56 went on a patio heater, some £74 on a hose and fittings, and £310 on new uPVC windows. Thousands of pounds more was spent on general maintenance, including £1,370 on decorators, over £1,200 on electrical work, and £409 for carpenters to fix the front, back and toilet doors.