Paul Martin of Downs View, Bude was conditionally discharged for 18 months and ordered to pay £150 costs at Bodmin Magistrates Court recently after pleading guilty to five counts of benefit fraud, which ranged from dishonestly making false statements to knowingly failing to declare changes in circumstances that would affect benefit entitlement.

The charges were brought against Mr Martin by Cornwall Council (formerly North Cornwall District Council) and included offences relating to Housing Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance.

The offences took place between February 2008 and June 2008, when Mr Martin had been working at Bude Holiday Park but had not declared this.  As a result he was overpaid benefits of £1,457.10. The recovery of which will be dealt with as a separate issue.

The court was told that Mr Martin failed to attend voluntary interviews with the council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and initially failed to attend court after being summonsed.