Ice cream man’s £ 23k benefits con

AN ice cream man with up to £ 55,000 hidden away in a bank illegally claimed benefits telling officials that he was penniless.

Paul Day, 38, made false claims for more than £ 23,000 in income support, council tax and housing benefit over three years, while raking in cash on his regular rounds.

On one occasion he claimed he had savings of just £ 1.68 despite having £ 17,000.

Another time he left a savings section on a benefits claim form blank but his nest egg had soared to £ 55,000.

Day ran a profitable business selling lollies during the summer but boosted his income with benefits in the winter when sales dropped. And he kept on claiming after his seasonal business returned.

Day, of Seacroft, Leeds, made claims over three seven- month spells, Leeds Crown Court was told.

When he was arrested the father of one initially claimed his mother had given him the money. But she refused to have anything to do with the investigation.

Jessica Strange, prosecuting, said Day then claimed a friend had given him the money.

He eventually admitted five offences of fraud. Day, who committed the offences between 2008 and 2011, was caught after a tip- off.

Marlon Grossman, mitigating, said Day had admitted the offences at an early opportunity.

Day was given a 12- month community order and ordered to do 240 hours’ unpaid work.

Recorder Richard Wright, QC, said: “When you dishonestly kept claiming benefits you were stealing from everybody who works hard and pays their taxes to fund the benefits system.”

But he added that Day was a hard- working family man who would be able to repay the money.