THE early release from prison of former Bury MP David Chaytor has been slammed.

The disgraced ex-Bury North MP — the first MP jailed over the Parliamentary expenses scandal — walked out of jail last Thursday after serving just one-quarter of his 18-month sentence.

Chaytor spent four-and-a-half months behind bars after admitting he falsely claimed more than £22,000 of taxpayers’ money.

It is understood that the ex-Labour MP was freed from Spring Hill Prison, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, under the home detention curfew scheme, which allows non-violent prisoners who pose a low risk to be tagged and released early.

Campaigners criticised the decision to release the former MP early.

Emma Boon, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “He stole thousands of pounds from taxpayers and, in doing so, he seriously damaged public faith in the Parliamentary system.

“Taxpayers will be rightly angry he has served less than half his sentence.”

Chaytor, aged 61, became the first former MP to be jailed since Tory peer Lord Archer when he was sentenced in January this year.

He forged tenancy documents and invoices to make fraudulent expenses claims for rent and IT work.

In March, the Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by the former lecturer to have his prison sentence reduced.

Chaytor, of Lumbutts, Todmorden, West Yorkshire, will be on the home detention curfew scheme for the next four-and-a-half months before spending the last nine months of his sentence on probation.

Chaytor has not responded to requests from the Bury Times for an interview.