Two fraudsters who tried to get a council flat by lying about being homeless were caught out when housing officials discovered they were already home owners.

Brian Chandler claimed to be a homeless single parent when he applied to Wandsworth Council's housing department in November last year.

He even brought his 18-month-old son to the interview with homelessness prevention officers and claimed that the child's mother had left him soon after his birth, Wandsworth Council says.

He claimed to have no idea of her whereabouts.

He also claimed that he had been living with friends and relatives at addresses in Norwood and Streatham until he had been forced to leave.

But council checks into his background revealed a link to another property in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, which he had not disclosed and further checks with NHS officials and health visitors revealed that the child was still living with his mother.

When confronted with these discrepancies, he denied all knowledge of the child's mother and any link to the property in Croydon – but later confessed that he did in fact own that house, the council said.

As a result he was prosecuted for deception. He pleaded guilty by post and was fined £215 with £200 costs and ordered to pay the full amount within 28 days.

The case mirrored another attempted council flat swindle from a woman who claimed to be homeless as a result of domestic violence.

Mellissa Halliday applied to Wandsworth for a flat in February this year claiming that she and her two children had been forced to flee their home in Victoria Rise, Clapham.

According to the council, she told housing officials that she had nowhere else to go and desperately needed a council flat.

However, investigations revealed that she was already the sole tenant of a housing association property in Enfield, north London, and that she was also the joint owner of a house in Leeds.

She also admitted deception and was given a six month conditional discharge by magistrates and ordered to pay £70 towards prosecution costs.

Cabinet member for housing Councillor Martin Johnson said: "No-one is ever offered accommodation in a council flat in Wandsworth without first undergoing a whole series of very stringent checks to make sure that their circumstances fully warrant them being given a council property.

"Council flats are very scarce and valuable resources, and no-one will be given the keys to one unless they are in genuine housing need.

"These two people now have convictions for deception which will undoubtedly have a major impact on their future ability to find employment.

"To anyone else tempted to take the same criminal path – I would strongly advise them to think again."

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