Expenses overclaim was just an error, says crime commissioner

He wrongly claimed for six journeys to and from his home and office, an independent audit has revealed.
However, on Wednesday Mr Stansfeld repeated his accusations of a political smear campaign.
“What no one has mentioned is the fact that I was actually underpaid on my expenses,” he said.
“My staff, who do my expenses, did overclaim in one area, but they underclaimed in another.
“The net result is that I have effectively underclaimed my entitlement by £50, not overclaimed. However, I won’t actually be collecting the sum, although I’m entitled to.”
Mr Stansfeld also said that, while he no longer uses a room in Hungerford police station as his main office, it remained critical that it was retained.
Mr Stansfeld first accused critics of a political smear campaign in May after claims he established a “sham” office in Hungerford to boost his expenses.
Conservative Mr Stansfeld, a district councillor for Kintbury who was elected to the £85,000-a-year Thames Valley Police role last November, also defended his decision to employ an extra assistant at nearly £20,000 a year to chauffeur him to meetings, take notes and help organise his day.
Tomorrow (Friday), he is due to tell the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel: “The unpleasant allegations against me appear to be political. I have behaved with total integrity throughout.”
However an independent audit of Mr Stansfeld’s expenses stated: “The PCC will repay £142.20 in respect of the six, non-compliant mileage claims identified as a result of the audit of his expenses.”
It designates the Kidlington office as his permanent workplace and adds: “The Hungerford office will be retained for his use but on a part-time (temporary workplace designation) basis only. No expense claims will be payable for the cost of home-to-work commute (private) journeys between his home and his permanent workplace at Kidlington or his temporary workplace at Hungerford (or journeys between these two offices).”
The report goes on to reveal that Mr Stansfeld’s assistant had resigned at the end of June “due to a change in personal circumstances”.
Mr Stansfeld has repeated his assertion that it was impractical for him to drive himself around his patch.
The panel is now considering three options – to recruit a replacement, part-time support officer; the use of a taxi for each and every business journey, or a contract with an external company to provide transport.