A BENEFITS fraudster has been jailed for cheating Preston Borough Council out of almost £10,000.

Ian Nichols, of Gleneagles Drive, Fulwood, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court, to obtaining £9,139 from the council by deception plus £94,499 from the Furness Building Society.

Judge Mahon told Nichols that he was an intelligent man who had put a lot of thought, planning and organisation into the deception.

The court was told that Nichols, 57, made a genuine claim for housing benefit while living at 7 Gleneagles Drive, in Fulwood. Later he bought the property from his landlord and submitted a fraudulent mortgage application to the Furness Building Society in his wife's name.

But, the court heard that Nichols continued to claim housing benefit, stating he was still liable to pay rent to the landlord, when in fact he was the owner of the house.

The fraud investigation was uncovered by Preston Borough Council's Housing Benefit fraud investigation team. Councillor Ian Hall, chairman of the council's Finance and Property sub-committee, said: "This prosecution proves that the law can be very tough on people who try to get away with housing benefit fraud.

"We consider this to be a serious crime which has an impact on every council tax payer in Preston and are pleased that the court has decided to take this strong action.

"We hope that this will send out a clear message to people that we will not tolerate anyone who attempts to defraud a benefit system which is in place to help the needy."

Nichols was sentenced to nine months in prison for each offence, to run concurrently.

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