Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond has hit back in a row over expense claims.

An article in the Times newspaper last week accused him and 11 other Conservative MPs of illegally using public money for self promotion.

But the politician said that allegations were completely untrue, and described the report as "a very poor piece of journalism".

The row centres on the services provided to Hammond by consultancy company Parliamentary Liaison Services (PLS). The Times alleged that PLS were paid up to £10,000 from staffing and office budgets to provide PR for the politician.

This would go against House of Commons rules that forbid using public money to pay for "advice for individual Members on self promotion or PR for individuals or political parties".

However, Mr Hammond said that PLS helped him to conduct surveys and research the views of residents - not to promote himself or his party.

He said that all the payments had been authorised by the House of Commons, and described the article as "sloppy journalism", adding "they haven't checked any of their facts".

He also said that other party members were considering legal action against the Times over the claims, which were made in an article published on July 17.

A spokesman for PLS said: "Everything we produce is seen by the authorities before it's sent out. We provide a service which is not party political."

Dan Lodge, Wimbledon's prospective parliamentary candidate, was unimpressed by the defence. He said: "The Tory MP for Wimbledon is completely out of touch with reality. First he demands that we pay him a hundred grand a year, then he takes our money in breach of the rules to help pay for his spin doctors."