A BELBROUGHTON man was given an eight-week suspended jail term for dishonestly obtaining more than £18,000 in housing and council tax benefits.

Reginald Purrier, of Drayton Road, admitted six charges of dishonestly making false statements to obtain Housing and Council Tax Benefit and was sentenced at Redditch Magistrates Court.

The court heard Purrier had failed to declare he was married and had a bank account into which earnings were received from his internet business.

His false declaration resulted in an overpayment of Housing and Council Tax Benefit totalling £18,361 between July 1 2004 and November 26 2007.

He was given an eight-week prison term for each offence - to run concurrently, but the sentences were suspended for six months.

Purrier was also given a six-month 7am to 7pm curfew, Monday to Friday, and ordered to be electronically tagged.

Bromsgrove District Council’s benefit investigation team, which uncovered Mr Purrier’s scam, is now seeking to recover the overpayment in full.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Officers are working hard to ensure benefits are paid to those who genuinely need them.

“We are committed to stamping out benefit fraud in the district and we want everyone to know we will take legal action in all cases where we find people are cheating the system.

“It is important that people entitled to benefits receive them and those that break the law are prosecuted, where appropriate.”

Any suspected fraud can be reported to Bromsgrove District Council on 01527 881221 or by email to hotline@bromsgrove.gov.uk or by entering the details on the fraud referral form on the council’s website www.bromsgrove.gov.uk Reports can also be given by ringing the National Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6341 between 8.30 and 6.30pm Mondays to Fridays.