by political editor Paul Francis

Ann Widdecombe has been cleared of making improper expenses claims after contesting a demand that she repay money for gardening costs.

While the Maidstone MP has repaid £230 in allowances following an inquiry headed by Sir Thomas Legg, she has been told that there was no evidence of abuse because there had been no limit on gardening expenditure at the time she made the claim.

As part of his inquiry into MP claims, Sir Thomas applied retrospective limits under certain categories.

Ms Widdecombe, right. said she was pleased with the outcome.

Along with others, the MP had lodged a protest over the initial findings and had appealed to the man appointed to investigate complaints Sir Paul Kennedy.

She said Sir Paul had told her there was no evidence she had abused the system.

The MP said: "Honour has been satisfied and I have sent a cheque off. However, I do think the Legg inquiry has been unreasonable. Why put retrospective limits on some allowances but not on others? He has never answered that argument.

She warned that the Legg report, which has audited all expenses claims made by MPs between 2004 and 2008, was unlikely to put an end to controversy over allowances and that a better option would be to end the expenses and pay MPs more.

It will draw a line under what has gone on but what we have ended up with is the worst of all worlds. I can see problems developing in the first five minutes [of the new system].

Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard has repaid £7,028 after also contesting a ruling that he pay back more than £13,000 claimed for gardening and house maintenance costs.