WELSH secretary Paul Murphy says he will meet local people to answer questions about his expenses claims.

The decision comes following a campaign led by Pontypool councillor Fred Wildgust, who plans to stand against Mr Murphy at the next election, calling for him to hold a public meeting.

Independent Cllr Wildgust wrote to Torfaen MP Mr Murphy on Monday asking him to hold the public meeting to discuss his expenses claims after they were revealed in the Daily Telegraph earlier this month. Residents joined Cllr Wilgust in a one hour demonstration outside Mr Murphy's office in Pontypool on Wednesday to call for answers.

Cllr Wildgust said: "We realise that these expenses may not be illegal but we feel they are immoral.

"What the general public want is for him to answer questions and have the honesty to step out of the shadows."

Mr Murphy said he will not hold a public meeting but has invited people to email him or send letter with their concerns. He said he is also willing to hold extra surgeries so he can speak to people face to face and answer their questions.

Mr Murphy, who has been an MP for 22 years, said: "All MPs' expenses will be put online in a couple of weeks and I want to make myself available to people who want to talk to me about them in light if them being published."

"I want to talk to them firstly about what's happened and how we are going to change the system because people have lost confidence in it so it must go." Mr Murphy's expenses included a claim for £3,000 for a new boiler because he said the water from his old one was 'too hot'.

The Torfaen MP defended the claim and said his old boiler was replaced after it was deemed unsafe and could not be repaired.