Campaigners target Home Secretary

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Campaigners in Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's Redditch constituency claim to have gathered 1,180 signatures calling for her to quit over her expenses.

The Jacqui Must Go Now! group said it aimed to gather more signatures than Ms Smith's 2,716 majority.

Ms Smith, who refused to comment, is being investigated by the Commissioner for Standards after claiming her main residence was her sister's London home.

She has paid back £10 she claimed for two adult films her husband viewed.

She also charged the taxpayer for her accountancy costs and £1,600 for three digital cameras and a camcorder over three years but said these claims were needed for responses to "constituents' needs".

'Bled dry'

She has maintained she "fully abided" by the rules in designating her sister's house as her main residence.

This allowed her to claim £116,000 on her Redditch constituency home which she shares with her husband and children.

She might have abided by the rules but it doesn't make it right does it at the end of the day Scott Preston, Jacqui Must Go Now!

The campaign in her constituency comes after a similar group gathered more than 6,000 signatures against Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride in the neighbouring constituency of Bromsgrove.

Ms Kirkbride has announced she will step down at the next General Election after being criticised for her expenses claims.

Scott Preston, of the Jacqui Must Go Now! campaign, said he and many others in Redditch believed Ms Smith had "bled taxpayers dry".

He added: "Jacqui Smith has claimed an extortionate amount of money in expenses and we feel we have the right to ask her why she's done it."

He said he was "more than confident" of gathering more than 2,700 signatures.

He said: "Everybody wants to sign it. They're very disgusted with what she's done.

"They feel they've voted for her so they supported her and obviously they've been let down by her.

"She might have abided by the rules but it doesn't make it right does it at the end of the day."

Last week a member of the public began a private prosecution against Ms Smith over her expenses.

Anthony Weaver, from Holborn in London, claims she defrauded the public purse of between £116,000 and £200,000 by claiming her main residence was her sister's London house.

The case was adjourned by a district judge and Mr Weaver was told to contact Scotland Yard.