A man who checked up on housing benefits claimants for a living has himself been jailed for housing benefit fraud.

Roy Carr, 37, applied for housing benefit straight after he stopped working for Merton Council, where he was employed for two-and-a-half years.

But he did not tell the authority that he had also been awarded incapacity benefit by the Department of Work and Pensions, meaning he was not entitled to all the housing and council tax benefits he was receiving.

Carr, of Radbourne Road, Balham, appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates' Court where he denied the fraud - which amounted to £441 - and opted for trial at crown court.

But just before he was due to attend Kingston Crown Court, he called to say he was too ill.

He then failed to appear for the adjourned hearing a week later.

Appearing in court on February 7, he admitted both fraud and breaking his bail conditions.

Sentencing Carr to 14 days' imprisonment for each offence, Judge Southwell said Carr's previous job at Merton Council was an aggravating feature in the case.

Cabinet member for corporate resources, Councillor Samantha George, said: "Carr's actions were made even more deplorable by the fact he used to work for Merton Council and would fully have realised the enormity of what he was doing."

Carr's council job involved visiting housing benefit claimants and checking whether or not they were entitled to the cash.