A Coventry benefit fraudster has been sent to prison after admitting swindling almost £40,000 in false claims.

Malcolm Parkhouse McHale was sentenced to 21 months’ after admitting eight specimen charges of false accounting.

Coventry Crown Court heard that McHale continued to claim income support, housing and council tax benefit for five years despite being in full time employment.

His claims amounted to nearly £40,000 of money to which he was not entitled.

McHale was caught after suspicious fraud investigators at Coventry City Council launched an inquiry into his circumstances.

He was told when being sentenced that “benefit fraud is a national disease” by the judge.

Fraud manager Steven Newman said:

“Benefit is for the needy – not the greedy. This conviction shows that Coventry City Council is committed to fighting benefit fraud.”

Cllr John Mutton, cabinet member (Resources), said:

“I hope that this will be a lesson to any others that may be tempted to defraud the council.

“Whilst we will do everything possible to help people claim benefit that they are entitles to, we’ll have no hesitation in clamping down on those guilty of fraud.

“It is not just the council that they are defrauding but the council tax payers of Coventry.”