THREE benefit cheats have been successfully prosecuted by Bromsgrove District Council’s benefit investigation team.

Reginald Purrier, of Drayton Road, Belbroughton; Jacqueline Edkins, of Austin Road, Bromsgrove; and Leslie Dutton, of Gorsey Lane, Wythall, all pleaded guilty at Redditch magistrates court.

Purrier admitted six charges of dishonestly making false statements to obtain housing and council tax benefit by failing to declare he was married and had a bank account containing earnings he received from his internet on-line business.

He scooped £18,361.29p in housing and council tax benefit over a period of about three years.

Purrier was given a six month suspended jail sentence of eight weeks on each offence to run concurrently. He was also given a six month 7am to 7pm curfew, Monday to Friday, and ordered to be electronically tagged.

Edkins dishonestly received £4,640.99 housing and council tax benefits for the period April, 2005 to March, 2008.

She was fined £150 and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge, plus costs of £100 to Bromsgrove District Council.

Dutton admitted three charges of dishonestly failing to declare capital in a bank account resulting in an overpayment of council tax benefit of £7,226.40 for the period June 2002 to July 2007.

He was fined £150 and ordered to pay £100 costs and a victim surcharge of £15 to Bromsgrove District Council.

In all cases the overpayments will be recovered in full.

A district council spokesman said: “We are committed to stamping out benefit fraud and want everyone to know that we will take legal action in all cases where we find people are cheating the system. “It is important that those entitled to benefits receive them and people who break the law are prosecuted, where appropriate.”

Any suspected fraud can be reported to Bromsgrove Council on 01527 881221 or by e-mail to hotline@bromsgrove.gov.uk The national fraud hotline on 0800 328 6341 is also open between 8.30am and 6.30pm Mondays to Fridays. Any suspected social security fraud can be reported to the DWP fraud hotline on 0800 85 44 40.