Credit card was cloned claims Prescott

The Labour peer said fraud was the “only explanation” for some examples that had emerged, and called on the Cabinet Secretary to investigate.

The comments came after records suggested staff in his department used cards to spend more than £15,000 in bars, restaurants and cafes over two years.

A bill for £456 was run up at an Australian casino in 2004 when the then-Cabinet Minister was visiting to review the country’s gambling laws.

Lord Prescott stressed that he had never personally held a Government procurement card.

He highlighted payments such as £2,000 on the same day from a camera shop in China and £360 at two golf clubs in Kent.

“I have got no idea about particular entries,” he said.

“You would certainly remember anyone buying £2,000 worth of camera gear but it’s news to me. The same thing with the golf – I don’t even play bloody golf.

“It has been established some cards were cloned and that is the only explanation for some of the things on here.”

Lord Prescott questioned a £296 spend on three separate trips to the London Eye.

“I’ve only been on the thing once in my life and that was then I showing Mayor Daley from Chicago around, so why should there be three different entries?” he said.

“It is possible someone cloned the card and that is what has shown up in some of these entries. I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to clarify this immediately.”

The former Hull East MP accused Tory Minister Grant Shapps of “dirty tricks” by implying he had been gambling at the casino with the credit card.