WYRE Forest’s MP said he has done nothing wrong in accepting gifts of tickets to attend a ball and flower show as it is “just a part of life”.

Mark Garnier told The Shuttle he had turned down hundreds of invitations offered to him since becoming an MP, including tickets to see Paul McCartney and said his acceptance of the tickets did not have to be justified.

He received two hospitality show ground tickets for last year’s Chelsea Flower Show last May from Japan Tobacco International (JTI), costing £1,100 Mr Garnier said they were offered to him after he spoke at a conference hosted by the tobacco company on the effect smuggling the product has on the tax payer.

“I said 'yes' because I have never been to the Chelsea Flower Show before,” he said. “Also JTI were celebrating the work of their charity.”

It was also revealed in The Register of Members' Financial Interests that the MP accepted a £1,000 ticket last February from his friend, Conservative donor Michael Hintze, to attend the party’s Black and White Ball.

Mr Garnier said: “It was a Conservative fund-raiser ball and he said ‘would you join our table?’ I thought it would be the right thing to do, to put it as a declaration.”

He added: “Of course I have done nothing wrong. It’s already on the Register of Members’ Interest. There’s nothing wrong. It’s all perfectly normal. It’s exactly the same in the corporate world. It’s just a part of life.

“There’s 999 that I didn’t accept. The vast majority of these stuff I already say no to. All of us who are MPs in Worcestershire have taken pay cuts of some form or other from coming out of the private sector to serve our communities and do it because we believe in serving our communities and Great Britain.

“If we wanted to have our nose in the trough I could go back to being an investment banker. The reason I’m an MP is the complete opposite to having my nose in the trough.

“Two years of hundred hour weeks. To pick on this one thing is really irritating.”