A fraudster using a false National Insurance number cheated the State out of £93,000 in benefits while working in a shower factory, a court heard.

Father of three Michel Biza, 50, had begun claiming benefits legitimately when he was seriously ill. But when he recovered and got a job he gave his employers the fake NI number and continued to claim with under the genuine number, Gloucester crown court was told.

His fraud went on for nine years before it was uncovered by Dept of Work and Pensions investigators and in that time he had been paid £93,268.35 he was not entitled to.

Biza, of Parkend rd, Gloucester, pleaded guilty to two charges of defrauding Gloucester City Council of housing and council tax benefit between May 2008 and February 2012.

He also admitted two offences of defrauding the Dept of Work and Pensions of Income Support and Employment Support allowance between April 2008 and April 2017.

The charges state that he failed to declare his earnings from paid employment when making claims for benefits he was not entitled to.

The judge, Recorder Jeremy Wright, sentenced Biza to two years jail suspended for two years and placed him under home curfew for three months from 9pm-5am nightly.

He also ordered Biza to do £150 hours unpaid work and pay £340 costs.

Recorder Wright told Biza: "You continued acquiring benefits at a time when you knew perfectly well that you were not entitled to them.

"That went on for a long time. Every week over a number of years you could have said to the benefits office 'I am now working so I am not entitled to these benefits.' Every week, 52 times a year, you could have put things right and acted honestly but you did not.

"The result of your dishonesty is that you have received £93,000 which you were not entitled to and which the taxpayer has had to pay.

"People who deceive State agencies and the taxpayer out of money they are not entitled to have to understand that an immediate prison sentence is inevitable sooner or later. Is it inevitable in your case? Well, it very nearly is.

"In the circumstances that I have heard from your advocate I am not going to put you in prison straightaway.

"You are of otherwise good character, you have had serious problems involving your health which I accept contributed at least in part to this."

Prosecutor Catherine Flynn said that Biza was under an obligation to notify the Dept of Work and Pensioners if there was any change in his circumstances but he did not do so,

He failed to disclose that he had worked for shower manufacturers Kohler Mira of Cheltenham in 2006 but eventually the DWP did become aware he was working and made enquiries of the firm.

Kohler Mira confirmed they had a Michel Biza working for them but said his NI number did not match the one the investigators had quoted. However, they supplied a copy of Biza's passport photo which they had on file and it proved he was the same man.

When Biza was interviewed he accepted he had been using a different NI number.

Ms Flynn said the prosecution was not seeking a proceeds of crime hearing against Biza because he had insufficient assets for any money to be confiscated from him.

However, the court heard, Biza is now having £180 a month deducted by the DWP from his £1,400 a month take home pay.

Joe Maloney, defending, said Biza had recently divorced but has two of his three children to stay with him on alternate weekends. It would be a massive blow to the family if he were jailed, he said.

Biza had expressed regret and remorse for his offending, added Mr Maloney,

"The risk of him committing further offences is low indeed and he does not present any risk of harm to the public."