A BENEFIT cheat has been jailed after admitting to falsely claiming £80,000 from Barnet Council.

Afrim Bardhoshi, 35, of Fordham Road, Barnet, was jailed at a hearing in Sheffield Crown Court last Friday.

In total, Bardhoshi was overpaid £55,000 in housing and council tax benefit, with the rest of the money coming from income support.

Council officers found Bardhoshi after police made arrests in relation to burglaries in Grimsby. One of the people arrested was found with bankcards belonging to Bardhoshi.

Investigations revealed he had deposited over £250,000 in cash into his personal account between 2002-2008.

During this six year period he was claiming housing and council tax benefit and income support.

The four and a half year sentence was the largest given to a benefit fraudster in Barnet, for what was one of the highest value frauds ever investigated by the council.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, cabinet member for governance and civic affairs, said: “The council's Corporate Anti-Fraud team has done sterling work over a number of years to reclaim thousands of pounds paid out for fraudulent claims.

“I am pleased that the court recognised this and gave Bardhoshi an appropriate sentence.”

Bardhoshi faced seven charges of dishonestly making a false statement with a view to obtaining benefit for himself, and one charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.