BENEFITS cheat Martin Myers who fiddled Kennet District Council out of more than £6,000 housing and council tax benefits has been ordered by magistrates to carry out 50 hours' community service.

Myers, formerly of Ludgershall, appeared before Devizes Magistrates Court on July 26.

Myers was sentenced to 50 hours' community punishment after he admitted receiving more than £6,000 in benefits that he was not entitled to.

Myers was also ordered to pay Kennet District Council's legal costs.

Ben Travers, prosecuting for Kennet, told the court how Myers had made an application for housing benefit and council tax benefit on the basis that he was unemployed.

Less than a month after submitting his application for benefits Myers had started employment with Stagecoach Limited.

Myers, said Mr Travers, dishonestly failed to notify the council of this change in his circumstances resulting in an overpayment being made.

Myers narrowly avoided a custodial sentence but magistrates considered a community punishment order to be the most suitable form of punishment.

Myers was ordered to repay the benefit cash to the council.

Council leader Chris Humphries said: "If you commit benefit fraud, sooner or later you can expect a knock on your door from one of our investigators.

"Our investigations are more thorough than ever before, which means that the Department of Work and Pensions in partnership with the local authority are taking action against more fraudsters than ever before.

"Our message to fraudsters is clear: We're on to you. Substantial amounts of public money are lost each year to benefit fraud and Kennet District Council takes a serious view of such fraud and will continue to prosecute in all appropriate cases.

"However, we are just as committed to ensure that genuine and potential claimants should have nothing to fear and we strongly encourage them to claim the benefits to which they are entitled.

Kennet's champion for community safety, Coun Lionel Grundy, said: "There is a perception that benefits fraud is a victimless crime but it is not. The victim is the taxpayer indirectly funding the fraudster. If we reduce fraud then the council will be able to invest more money into delivering and improving front line services."