CHIPPENHAM MP Michelle Donelan has denied claims in a national newspaper that she failed to declare expenses during her election campaign, after being accused of overspending by more than £1,200.

A story in the Mirror included her in a list of 24 MPs across the country accused of not declaring thousands of pounds spent on their campaigns in marginal seats, after their constituencies were visited by the Tory party RoadTrip battlebuses.

Ms Donelan said today: “The Mirror story is an example of ill-informed and lazy tabloid journalism at its absolute worst.

“As well as getting the name of my predecessor entirely wrong they also failed to report the important fact that the campaigners’ Battle Bus did not actually ever come to my constituency.”

Ms Donelan was accused of overspending an estimated £1,247.12 on her £15,236.61 budget after not declaring the bus, food and hotel expenses, as she went on to claim the Chippenham seat by 10,076 from Liberal Democrat Duncan Hames.

Prime Minister David Cameron did visit the area on his own bus, for which he would claim through his own expenses and which Ms Donelan would not have to declare.

Breaching election spending limits is a criminal offence and could lead to calls for by-elections.