BENEFIT bosses have proven there is no hiding place for cheats in Burnley and Pendle who want to rip off the public purse.

Fraud investigations in Burnley and Padiham alone have seen the amount of overpaid benefits uncovered more than double in just 12 months.

And teams in neighbouring Pendle are also celebrating after identifying more than £63,000 in ill-gotten gains revealed over the same period.

In Burnley the total amount of overpayments singled out for 2008-09 stood at nearly £230,000, while for the previous year it was around £93,000.

For 2009-10 the benefits investigation team has now been set a target of 80 prosecutions or other sanctions.

Benefits manager Caroline Lee said in an executive report: “More administrative penalties were imposed as sanctions this year.

“We offered 44 administrative penalties as an alternative to prosecution, in line with our policy.

“This enables the authority to fine the person committing fraud (up to) 30 per cent of the overpayment.”

Pendle Council cautioned 24 people, imposed seven adminstrative penalties and undertook 13 successful prosecutions, up to the end of March.

Mother-of-two Rebecca Hardingham, who claimed more than £11,500 as a single mother, while living with her husband, is one such case, mounted jointly with the Department of Work and Pensions.

She failed to disclose she was married, affecting her income support and council tax benefits claim.

Hardingham, of Belgrave Road, Colne, admitted three counts of fraud by failing to disclose information, between May 2007 and December last year.

She had no previous convictions and was given a 12 month community order, with 100 hours unpaid work and £75 costs.

Burnley and Pendle council are also taking part in the National Fraud Initative, where the information held on claimants, by a number of different agencies, is cross-checked to see if there are any discrepancies.