Claims : Tory MP Mark Simmonds has been sponsoring his local hospital radio station and claiming it back on expenses . A Tory MP quitting Westminster because £67,000-a-year is not enough to support his family has been sponsoring his local hospital radio station and claiming it back on expenses , it was revealed today . Former foreign office minister Mark Simmonds also has an advertisement board behind the goal at Boston United 's football ground funded by the taxpayer . Mr Simmonds , who represents Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire until May , is leaving Parliament because expenses are not sufficient to allow his young family to live with him in London . In the 2013/14 financial year he claimed 170,841.21 in expenses , which included £10,000 for his sports advertising at Boston United and elsewhere . Within his office costs he claimed for the £100 cost of sponsoring his local hospital radio station . He also employs his wife Lizbeth as office manager on around £25,000-a-year paid for by the taxpayer . For eight years patients and staff at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston , Lincolnshire , have heard that music shows on Fridays are 'kindly sponsored ' by Tory Mark Simmonds . Mr Simmonds , a former Foreign Office minister , says all the expense claims were within the rules and the Boston United board was approved by watchdog Ipsa in advance of the claim . Ipsa has also rejected a complaint about sponsorship and refused to investigate because of a lack of 'sufficient evidence ' . Local councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke , who is standing for UKIP in Boston and Skegness in May , told the Daily Mirror : 'To pretend he is sponsoring a hospital radio show , boasting of his generosity while in fact charging the taxpayer , is pretty low . ' Local support : Mr Simmonds has paid for an ad board at Boston United 's York Street stadium to allow the public to see his contact details . But the MP has said he can not understand why his claims are controversial . He told MailOnline : 'It is a load of nonsense . All the expenses were properly claimed and approved by Ipsa . I even emailed them pictures of the advertising board before I claimed and they approved it . 'It has been a good way to advertise my contact details and a lot of people have got in contact through this ' . Regular sponsor : The MP has for eight years 'kindly sponsored ' the Friday music show at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston . Last August he quit because of ‘ intolerable ’ expenses rules but is the owner of a million-pound mansion , bought using profits from the sale of his taxpayer-funded home . The 50-year-old already owns a seven-bedroom grade-II listed house with a heated swimming pool . Mr Simmonds has claimed more than £1.7million in expenses since becoming a Tory MP in 2001 . He also made more than £500,000 by selling a house on which the taxpayer paid the mortgage interest . Six months after becoming an MP , he bought a five-bedroom house in Putney , south-west London , for £650,000 . From 2001 to 2009 , he claimed £2,000 a month for the mortgage interest . When expenses rules were changed to ban such claims , he sold the property in January 2011 for £1,187,500 – £537,000 more than he paid . 17th century splendour : The £1.25million mansion in Mark Simmonds 's constituency of Boston and Skegness , which has a luxury private pool and a tennis court . Couple : Mr Simmonds also pays the salary of his his wife Lizbeth in her role as his office manager , but he says he will leave Parliament at the election because he rarely sees his three children . The same month , he used the massive profit to help buy the 17th-century property in his constituency for £900,000 . Set in 15 acres , it has formal gardens , a garage for three cars , a tennis court and a heated outdoor swimming pool . But Mr Simmonds said he will leave Parliament at the election because he rarely sees his three children , who live in his constituency . He said at the time his expenses ‘ do not stretch to renting a flat near Westminster large enough for my children , so I stay in a hotel . I hate it ’ . When asked how a rental allowance of £27,875 a year plus £2,500 for each child was not enough , he said : ‘ If MPs want to get into the business of travelling extensively from Westminster to the outer reaches of London to rent a flat then that ’ s up to them . ‘ But that ’ s not the lifestyle I want and not the lifestyle I have chosen . ’
Mark Simmonds also has taxpayer - funded advisory board at Boston United charities . For eight years he has also sponsored charity Radio at local hospital . MP says it 's been an excellent way to get contact details to charities . UKIP rival has said claiming advertising on television is ' pretty low ' MP for Boston and Skegness will not stand at the next general election . Said income did n't cover cost of renting a home for his family .