Window cleaner in £70,000 benefit swindle

John Booth, 63, said he was unfit to work over a 14-year period due to his various ailments but in fact was actively doing his rounds to homes in Cheshire.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court yesterday, Booth was handed a 28-week jail term suspended for two years.

Booth, of Chorley, Lancashire, began the swindle in April 1994 after previously claiming invalidity benefit for 12 years because of depression.

When he began work again on his cleaning business he failed to notify the authorities of his change in circumstances.

He then went on to falsely claim a string of unemployment benefits despite continuing to clean windows in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Stockport and Poynton on a regular basis.

Frank Nance, prosecuting, said: "He was asked to set out his reasons for incapacity and he said he had agoraphobic anxiety and a fear of being in public places and around people, which simply was a gross distortion of the truth."

Booth, of Lyons Lane, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of false accounting at an earlier hearing.

Despite clambering up ladders, he submitted on claim forms that he could only walk 50 yards before he needed a rest, regularly suffered panic attacks and could not go out alone.

Booth, who entered the dock with the aid of a walking stick, went on to claim council tax benefit, disability living allowance and pension credit.

He did this despite having up to 27,000 in his building society account at one point.

James Hawks, defending, said his client had already paid back more than half of the 71,500 he swindled and money to cover the remaining amount was in the hands of Booth's solicitors.

He lapsed into dishonesty after previously submitting a legal claim for invalidity benefit. He had genuine health problems.