Tory HQ last night berated the "exorbitant" cost - more than £3000 - of deep cleaning John Prescott's former grace-and-favour flat in Whitehall, famous as the scene of his romantic assignations with Tracey Temple, his diary secretary.

Parliamentary answers to Conservative questions revealed the "deep clean" of the former deputy prime minister's two-bedroom flat at Admiralty House cost £3320.

The Tories pointed out this was despite the fact commercial contractors normally charged just £200 to clean such a property when tenants moved out.

They also noted that the cleaning bill was on top of the £173,000 yearly cost to the public purse of the flat.

Parliamentary answers also revealed that refurbishing the flat, now occupied by Lord Malloch-Brown, the Foreign Office minister, cost £1030 for new curtains plus £9322 for a washing machine, tumble dryer, freezer, new taps and repainting the bedrooms, bathroom and corridor.

Eric Pickles, the Shadow Communities Secretary, said: "John Prescott left behind a shambles in Whitehall. Now, we discover his grace and favour flat could have done with a liberal dose of Shake And Vac' and, as usual, he is expecting the long- suffering taxpayer to clean up after him.

"Serious questions must be asked about the growing cost of these luxury government flats left empty for long periods of time.

"And an answer is needed to one of the greatest political mysteries of all time: why does Gordon Brown's crony, Lord Malloch-Brown, need one?"