Bradford is to be targeted in a new campaign to get tough on benefit fraud.

The Department for Work and Pensions is seeking to crack down on people who cheat the system with its new No Ifs No Buts campaign.

Although the action will be rolled out across the country, particular attention will be focused on Bradford.

The DWP claims that across the Yorkshire region, £26 million is fraudulently claimed in benefits each year.

The message is to be hammered home via television adverts and billboard posters.

However, in Bradford the message will be reinforced with extra advertising inside buses, phone boxes and local media. The adverts will start appearing in November.

Part of the campaign will focus on spreading awareness of what actually constitutes benefit fraud, such as not telling the DWP about changes to your job or salary, claiming single-person benefits when cohabiting, and not telling the DWP the true extent of your savings, which may seem like harmless omissions.

But the campaign seeks to remind people that the bottom line is such practices are illegal and can be punishable by heavy fines.

Anti-fraud minister James Plaskitt said: "Benefit fraud is a theft, and we are committed to catching benefit thieves and bringing the toughest penalties against those who commit this crime.

"The public are fed up with benefit thieves stealing money intended for society's most vulnerable. There are no excuses for taking money that is not yours."

The Telegraph & Argus has reported a number of high profile benefit fraud cases in the past 18 months.

In August, 2005, Richard Harker was jailed for 30 months after pocketing at least £90,000 by falsely claiming he was too ill to work.

He succeeded in convincing doctors he was severely disabled but was actually living the high life. He spent months on holiday in Spain, indulging his passion for jet skis and power boats, and bought a house in Clayton, paying with cash.

And in March this year, the T&A reported on Roger Tate who claimed nearly £40,000 in state benefits.

Tate was sentenced to 15 months after a court heard how he had been claiming Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Relief, despite owning a holiday home in Spain, a speedboat and a BMW.

And last month, a court heard how Bradford couple Jasmine Nabi and Aly Shafi ripped off £32,000 in benefits by pretending they were landlord and tenant.

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk