EVERY day, for some time now, I have read and heard the news concerning the MPs’ expenses scandal thinking that I couldn’t be any more disgusted.

Every day, I seem to be proved wrong.

If you thought politics had been in the gutter for some time, I would suggest that is has surely now fallen through to the sewers.

The censorship (redaction) employed by Parliamentary authorities is disgraceful and proves that had it not been for The Daily Telegraph exposé much of what we know would have remained hidden.

Gordon Brown said recently: “My principle in this is the maximum transparency – it’s got to be consistent, of course, with security, but I think people have got to be as transparent as possible.”

Much of the blacked-out areas have nothing to do with personal privacy or security.

What we now know is that 183 MPs have repaid claims totalling more than £470,000. With new revelations concerning irregularities with council tax claims I confidently expect this figure to exceed £1m.

I would like to suggest that these individuals spend the rest of their time in this Parliament wearing bright yellow fluorescent jackets emblazoned with the words: “I’m paying back”.

Ian Sadler, Darlington.