Benefit fraudsters will be targeted as part of a council clampdown following the conviction of a High Wycombe man.

Following the successful prosecution of Ashfaq Ghaffar, Wycombe District Council has announced they will work “even harder” to catch fraudsters in the future.

Ghaffar, of Plumer Road, High Wycombe, was forced to pay more than £1,300 after pleading guilty to making a fraudulent application to join the council’s housing register.

He had failed to declare that he already owned a property in the district and was fined £235 and ordered to pay £1,167 in prosecution costs as well as the court charge and victim surcharge.

WDC cabinet member for housing, Cllr Julia Langley, said: “We want to make sure that the people who need social housing or benefits get what they are rightly entitled to.

“This year we face tight budgets and social housing is in short supply so we need to work even harder to clampdown on people who try to cheat the system.

“The vast majority of people applying to us for social housing are in genuine need; but we owe it to them and to anyone paying their taxes to root out the few people who try to cheat the system.

“I’m delighted that through the hard work of everyone involved in this case it was possible to obtain a successful prosecution.

“We are sending out a very clear message – where we find people making fraudulent claims we will investigate and take appropriate action, which will include criminal proceedings in appropriate cases.”

If you think anyone is committing fraud, call 0800 0158995 or email fraud.investigations@wycombe.gcsx.gov.uk