A 52-year-old cleaner dishonestly pocketed £10,500 in benefits, a Court heard today.

John Hearsum, of Broad Lane, Tyersal, Bradford, pleaded guilty to five offences involving fraudulently obtaining Job Seekers' Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit over a period of more than 18 months.

Stephen Brown, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, told Bradford Crown Court that Hearsum failed to declare that both he and his then partner, Ginette Keenan, were working.

Mr Brown said Hearsum, a cleaner, had previous convictions for dishonesty.

Hearsum's solicitor advocate, Ian Hudson, said the claim for Job Seekers' Allowance was honest at the outset and his client had not been in any trouble for many years.

The judge, Recorder Julian Smith, sentenced Hearsum to an 18-month community order with supervision and 100 hours’ unpaid work. He ordered him to pay £100 towards the prosecution costs.