HE insists he works 70 hours a week, has 1,000 cases on the go and much of his work is confidential.

It sounds like the workload of a junior doctor. But in fact it belongs to Burnley MP Peter Pike who has just spent two hours listening to the concerns of his constituents.

It is Saturday lunchtime and Peter is angry at the bad press he has received following his £153,989 expenses claim which was published, along with figures for all 659 MPs, on Thursday. He is fourth highest on the list.

Mr Pike said: "I travel down to the House every Monday and I'm a regular in Questions. I am one of the highest on the Labour side of people asking questions.

"I spend weekends in Burnley. I have seven or eight commitments on Friday. Yesterday I went to prize giving at St Hilda's, had a meeting with the Post Office in the afternoon, a meeting at Preston County Hall and I'm a Burnley football supporter so I went to the match. I work 70 to 80 hours a week. I start at 9am or even earlier. If I'm chairing a committee at 9.30am I will make sure I'm in at 8.30am to get my papers together.

"I rarely leave on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before 11pm dealing with mail. I sign all my own letters.

"I believe 100 per cent I earn the salary I get."

He spent £25,434 on travel. It sounds a lot but a standard open return train ticket from Burnley to London costs £189 - that's 134 trips a year.

Mr Pike was elected as Burnley MP in 1983 and is due to stand down at the next election.

In Westminster, he holds 23 posts, including membership of four Select Committees, groups of MPs which look at particular issues. His interests range from the manufacturing industry to Kashmir and football.

Mr Pike comes 54th in the table of how many times MPs vote in the House of Commons but he said the figures do not tell the whole story. In the past year he has chaired the committee looking at the Housing Bill and Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill and so was not allowed to vote on the final piece of legislation.

He said: "At the last stage of the Hunting Bill I chaired for one day to enable it to be completed which meant I was barred from voting even though it is a bill I strongly support."

Back home, Mr Pike is especially proud of what is being done to protect jobs, renew housing and build new schools.

He added: "My commitment has always been to this town and its people 101 per cent over the last 20 years."