A NORTH-EAST MP last night came out fighting after he was cleared of allegations of working against a charity dedicated to helping landmine victims because it would not pay his expenses.

Stockton North Labour MP Frank Cook angrily told The Northern Echo the claims were "lies" and insisted he had been "totally vindicated" in a report from the parliamentary standards watchdog.

But Mr Cook was formally rebuked by the standards commissioner for failing to declare all of his trips to south-east Asia made on behalf of the charity, Power.

And in a statement to the commissioner, the MP offered an "unqualified apology" if he had not complied with Commons rules.

The Labour MP, chairman of the all-party landmine eradication group, had made the journeys during the 1990s for the charity, which provides artificial limbs to landmine victims in Laos and Mozambique in southern Africa.

But Mr Cook then found himself accused by Power of persuading the Department for International Development (DFID) to turn down applications for grants after falling out with the charity over his £13,000 expenses claim.

Charity chairman Professor George Thomason claimed the bill, including a £1,132 item for food and beverages, was excessive because Power believed he had been pursuing other business and personal interests in Laos.

Professor Thomason also claimed the MP's "bias" had played a role in getting DFID to reject applications from Power for funding.

Mr Cook's expenses claim was eventually settled by the charity offering to pay him £3,500 and sending him a cheque for £1,750 which was sent on to Laotian princess Somsangouane, who had accompanied the MP on his work.

The balance was to be provided by a foundation linked to Power.

But in her report, standards commissioner Elizabeth Filkin said there was no evidence, based on documents submitted by the charity, "that Mr Cook deliberately inflated his claim".

And she also cleared him of any bias against Power, saying the MP had developed "sincerely held" and potentially serious doubts about the charity's management and effectiveness.

"Mr Cook was right, and arguably under a duty, to draw his concerns to the DFID's attention," said the commissioner, adding there was no evidence that the MP had behaved "in any way irrationally or maliciously".

But she ruled that Mr Cook was wrong not to register three trips to Laos in 1994 and 1995 which were covered by his expenses' claim to the charity.

In fact, he registered just one of the trips, which he said was paid by Indian consultant engineers BPME Ltd.

In a statement to the commissioner, Mr Cook said he thought he had complied with the register rules but added: "I assure you that any offence I have committed has been committed inadvertently and is a matter of sincere regret."

Last night, Michael Boddington, chief executive of Power, would only say he was unhappy the charity's complaint had not been upheld