FRAUD-BUSTERS in Blackburn and Accrington have saved £2.5 million in six months this year.

The amazing figure has been revealed in the Commons by East Lancashire Tory MP Nigel Evans.

He said information from the benefits agency investigators in the two towns showed that between April 1996 and October 31 this year, 2,375 social security and other benefit claims were investigated, producing a weekly saving of £2.4 million.

Savings on payment cheque frauds added another £239,000, bringing the total saving to well over £2.5 million.

Ribble Valley MP Mr Evans said there were another 860 cases in the area to be investigated, bringing the possibility of more savings.

He also praised Ribble Valley Council in its fight against housing benefit and council tax benefit frauds - one quarter of the total fraud bill to the Department of Social Security.

He said: "Ribble Valley Borough Council is doing extremely well in the fight against fraud. "It will set the baseline saving target on weekly benefit fraud of £37,427. That target has been exceeded and weekly benefit saving of £40,999 are being achieved.

"It has detected 53 cases of proven fraud - 10 false rebate claims, 20 false rental allowance claims and 23 false council tax benefit claims."

Mr Evans said it was vital to crack down on benefit fraud.

He said: "It is the hard working classes who most support the Government's efforts.

"One need only visit the local pub to discover how angry the regulars feel when they read in the newspapers of someone who has been convicted of a fraud that has been allowed to go on for so long. They are delighted when such people are caught.

"They resent the fraudsters who rip the system off and often earn more than honest hard working people.

"Such fraudsters are taking money from those who need it most, at the expense of the tax payer and at the expense of those who should be receiving that benefit."

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