Claims for dog food, light bulbs ... Brown apologizes

LONDON: Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologized yesterday for politicians' expenses, which included claims for dog food and light bulbs, in a bid to staunch a damaging parliamentary scandal.

The revelations in the Daily Telegraph newspaper about MPs claims were the latest in a string of embarrassing headlines about ruling Labour legislators - including Brown and his Cabinet colleagues - and opposition figures.

There has been widespread public anger and even calls for parliament to be dissolved. An election is not legally required until mid-2010.