A self-employed taxi driver who lied about his earnings to secure a £100,000 remortgage on his family home has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Ahmed Azoor, 49, of Landsmoor Grove, Eldwick, wanted the extra money to enhance the lives of his wife and five children, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Azoor pleaded guilty to obtaining money by deception and concealing criminal property in 2006.

Prosecutor Louise Azmi told the court Azoor dishonestly inflated the amount he earned when he completed a form to remortgage his four- bedroom detached home with the then Abbey National. He bought the house in 2003 and had always paid the mortgage on it, the court was told.

Mrs Azmi said police searched the house in October 2010 and found more than £5,000 in two handbags.

Azoor’s solicitor advocate, Simon Hustler, mitigating, said Azoor did not act of greed, but he wanted to improve the lives of his family.

Judge John Potter sentenced Azoor to ten months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Although it was a planned fraud, regular payments on the mortgage meant that the Abbey National had not lost any money.

There will be a Proceeds of Crime Application hearing later in the year to try to get back some of the money.