THE row over politicians expenses has split residents in the Cotswolds.

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown was criticised for claiming a £66,827 second home allowance over three years after switching his main residence from his Cotswold home to his flat in London.

Despite wide-ranging criticism local Tories have defended their MP who said he has done nothing illegal.

Mr Clifton-Brown is the latest MP to be exposed in the scandal when it was revealed he switched his second home allowance to the Cotswolds and had been claiming monthly repayments of £2,059 on his interest-only mortgage instead of the £200 ground rent on his London pad.

When he switched his second home he was living in a house in Hazelton worth £496,500.

But when he moved into his £2.7million country pile in Daglingworth last year he continued to claim it was his second home.

Mr Clifton-Brown said a change of role within the Conservative Party three years ago, meant he was having to spend more time in London and considered that his first home.

The Cotswolds Conservative Party Association this week refused to condemn Mr Clifton-Brown, who is the shadow minster for trade and international development.

Chairman and CDC councillor Mark Tufnell said: "He has acted perfectly within the rules. He got divorced and was promoted within the party so he has had much more to do in London. I cannot see that he has done anything wrong and to that extent the Conservative Association fully supports him."

Mr Clifton-Brown has submitted his expenses claim to Tory leader David Cameron's scrutiny panel and said he had nothing to hide from his constituents.

"My flat in London became my primary residence," he explained. "Following my divorce, I bought a house in the constituency with a mortgage, which became my second home. I was informed it was correct to claim the interest on that mortgage."

But Cotswold opposition councillors have called for Mr Clifton-Brown to repay much of his expenses.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson (Churn Valley, Lib Dem) said: "It’s a real shame that he’s seen fit to put self interest before the interests of all of us who are his constituents."

Cotswold Labour parliamentary candidate Mark Dempsey urged Mr Clifton-Brown to publish his expenses publicly on his website.

He said: "It is not good enough for anyone to blame the system."