ENFIELD Council leader Michael Rye was "shocked and disappointed" by false expenses claims made by the former deputy mayor of London.

Ian Clement, 44, was forced to quit his job yesterday after it emerged he had used his City Hall credit card for personal items and lied on his expenses form.

The deputy mayor for Government and external relations claimed for a phantom lunch with the Tory leader at Pizza Express, in High Road, Barnet, on October 31, 2008.

The bill covered £32.50 for one capricciosa and one padana pizza, two Diet Cokes, two Americano coffees, a cheesecake and a banoffee pie, both with vanilla ice-cream.

But Mr Rye says he was never there.

The leader met Mr Clement earlier in the day for a meeting at the Enfield Civic Centre, in Silver Street, but says he waved him off long before lunch.

He said: "I had a meeting with Ian in the morning, with a number of other key people, but I saw him off in the car park some time before lunch.

"I then went home, had a sandwich and proceeded to go to a number of other meetings.

"Anyone who knows me, knows I would never touch an Americano or cola. If I'd been eating pizza, I would most likely have had some red wine and mineral water."

Mr Rye was highly critical of his colleague's actions.

"I knew him as a leader of Bexley and London, and in those roles he was always very effective," he said.

"But I was shocked and disappointed that he made the claims he did.

"He has let himself down, he has let the party down, and, most of all, he has let Boris down."

Mr Clement also claimed £73.50 for a meal with Barnet Council leader Mike Freer at the Blue Olive, in Cockfosters Road, on November 5, 2008 - a day the Tory leader says he was at a funeral in Inverness.

Mr Clement is the third deputy mayor to have resigned since Boris Johnson took office in May 2008.

He is now facing a possible police investigation after Scotland Yard received a formal complaint from Michael Barnbrook, the BNP's law and order spokesman and the father of the party's London Assembly member Richard Barnbrook.

A statement issued by the mayor's office said: "Ian Clement, deputy mayor for Government and external relations, tendered his resignation to the Mayor of London this morning following the discovery of further discrepancies in the use of his corporate credit card.

"The mayor has accepted Mr Clement's resignation. His position will be filled in due course."