Whitby man convicted of council tax fraud after cheating the public purse out of almost £2,500

An investigation into Colin Clarke’s claim for local support for council tax was conducted by Veritau, Scarborough Borough Council’s fraud investigation service.

The investigation began after the council discovered he had received more than £40,000 from a private pension pay out, which he failed to declare to them.

As a result of his fraudulent activity, Mr Clarke was awarded £2,433.75 in council tax discounts during a period of two years that he was not entitled to.

During the course of the investigation, Mr Clarke was asked to give his side of events but failed to attend multiple interviews arranged for him and did not cooperate with the investigation.

On Tuesday March 7 Mr Clarke pleaded guilty to all charges at Scarborough Magistrates Court.

He was fined £120. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £461.

Councillor Janet Jefferson, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for corporate resources, said: “For all the residents that make genuine claims and keep us up to date with their changes in circumstances, there will always be people that don’t.

"This case acts a reminder that anyone receiving council tax discounts should report relevant changes to us as quickly as possible.

“To protect the interests of all council tax payers, we will always look to take action against people who have been found to commit council tax fraud.”

Anyone with information on fraudulent activity against the council should contact the fraud hotline by emailing [email protected] or call 0800 9179 247.