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CLIMATE change campaigning peers charged taxpayers thousands for flights rather than taking the train.

Lord Purvis of Tweed, who was the Liberal Democrats’ spokesman on energy and climate change in the House of Lords, claimed £9126 in air fares in a year.

The Ferret website said he ran up the bill for travel between his Borders home and London.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Lord Foulkes – honorary treasurer of Climate Parliament, who bring “legislators together to combat climate change” – ran up an £11,951 bill for air travel between Edinburgh and London in 12 months .

Colin Howden, director of campaigners Transform Scotland, called for peers to show more leadership and cut their “excessive” use of heavily polluting air travel.

He said: “Rail travel should be the first option for business travel from central Scotland to London.”

He added that Purvis was “setting an especially poor example”, having previously made the case for emissions reductions, while running up a large bill for air travel.

Foulkes said: “Bookings are done for me by the travel office. I tell them to book the option that is most convenient depending on the meetings that I have.”

Purvis could not be contacted for comment last night.