[martinsadie]

A window cleaner from Lancashire falsely stated he had agoraphobia so he could illegally claim more than £70,000 in benefits, a court has heard.

John Booth, 63, said he was unfit to work over a 14-year period due to various illnesses but was actually doing his rounds in Cheshire.

Booth, of Chorley, admitted 17 counts of false accounting at a previous hearing at Preston Crown Court.

He was given a 28-week jail term, suspended for two years.

'Gross distortion'
 
He began his scam in April 1994 after previously claiming invalidity benefit for 12 years because of depression, the court heard.

When he began work again on his cleaning business he failed to notify the authorities of his change in circumstances.

He then went on to falsely claim a string of unemployment benefits despite continuing to clean windows in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Stockport and Poynton on a regular basis, the court heard.

Frank Nance, prosecuting, said: "He was asked to set out his reasons for incapacity and he said he had agoraphobic anxiety and a fear of being in public places and around people, which simply was a gross distortion of the truth."

[james44]

One of my customers is a benefits fraud officer and she told me about a cleaner that was( caught sign written van and all) lol

[formb]

A window cleaner from Lancashire falsely stated he had agoraphobia so he could illegally claim more than £70,000 in benefits, a court has heard.

John Booth, 63, said he was unfit to work over a 14-year period due to various illnesses but was actually doing his rounds in Cheshire.

Booth, of Chorley, admitted 17 counts of false accounting at a previous hearing at Preston Crown Court.

He was given a 28-week jail term, suspended for two years.

'Gross distortion'
 
He began his scam in April 1994 after previously claiming invalidity benefit for 12 years because of depression, the court heard.

When he began work again on his cleaning business he failed to notify the authorities of his change in circumstances.

He then went on to falsely claim a string of unemployment benefits despite continuing to clean windows in Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Stockport and Poynton on a regular basis, the court heard.

Frank Nance, prosecuting, said: "He was asked to set out his reasons for incapacity and he said he had agoraphobic anxiety and a fear of being in public places and around people, which simply was a gross distortion of the truth."

That pretty much means he got nowt.

[david watts]

poor bloke such a stiff sentence :

[tomy jackson]

ther every wher  :

[G Griffin]

 If he`s agarophobic, then you think he`d have liked a spell in jail.

[tacky]

try n get his phone number .then he can tell us how to make real money

[NJWindowCleaning]

Should be a minimum of 10 years for fraud and you need to ask him how much he wants for round now he is in there..taken another bribe might get him longer

[paul rulton]

maybe he omly done the insides 

[G Griffin]

maybe he omly done the insides 

     Not bad  and he`s wfp too.
     I know of an agarophobic canvasser if anyones interested.
 

[Sean Dyer]

time to canvass wilmslow and alderley edge then eh

some footballers living round there bet he was cleaning for them

[Londoner]

Nice one. Now they just have to get the other 999,999 at it. They should make him pay it all back. As it is it looks like he got off it, what deterent is that?

One of my customers today was talking about the budget, he has a villa in Spain and said there are loads of Brits over there living on benefits from this country. They don't even try to make a secret of it.

[DaveG]

I bet a few bums have tightened up a bit after reading that!!!!

There must be thousands at it accross the country

[wpclean]

I heard on the news that he has agreed to pay it back in a big lump sum , so that helped him get a more lenient sentence ! 

[bobby p]

he did look a tad peeved in that foto of him.