BENEFIT fraudsters have been warned they will be caught in the latest drive against the cheats.

A drive has been launched across the country, focusing on areas with high numbers claiming benefits, such as East Lancashire.

And Britain's anti-fraud minister Chris Pond warned: "It's as anti-social as drinking and driving."

Mr Pond made his comments during a visit to Blackburn's Jobcentre Plus office, in Penny Street, where he met staff whose job it is to spot people illegally claiming benefits.

Latest figures for the North West show that £88million was lost to fraud in income support and jobseekers' allowance in 2002, compared to £119million in 2001.

The drive includes more staff investigating benefit claims and people being urged to shop those claiming benefits illegally.

Mr Pond said: "While the reduction is welcome, there is still a long way to go.

"People have to understand that benefit fraud is not a victimless crime. It is taking money from your neighbours, which should be being spent on teachers, nurses and other vital public services.

"We are appealing to the people of East Lancashire to report any fraud they think is being committed.

"Around 45 calls a day are being received at the fraud hotline in the North West.

"The £88million lost to fraud in the North West would have paid for 1,275 doctors or 2,838 nurses or 2,543 teachers."

He added that it did not matter whether people were claiming for the wrong set of circumstances -- such as saying they lived by themselves when they actually lived with a partner -- or were working while claiming benefit. It is all cheating and you will be caught," he said.

And he praised Blackburn with Darwen Council for announcing it fwas getting tough on housing benefit cheats. As a local authority, it dishes out housing support.

The council's annual performance plan, published this week, will set out how the council will carry out more checks on people to make sure they are telling the truth.

Mr Pond said: "It is good to see councils being so proactive. We are all working together. It doesn't matter which benefit it is, if people are claiming what they are not entitled to, it is fraud.

"Housing benefit reforms, which the Government is currently working on, will make it harder to cheat."

Last year, more than 1,000 people in the North West were convicted of benefit fraud.