AN 'IDIOTIC' benefit fraudster has avoided jail after conning Hammersmith & Fulham council out of thousands of pounds.

Nazar Husseini, 36, of Hammersmith Road, was given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 40 hours unpaid work at Isleworth Crown Court on July 14.

Husseini lied to the council about his work and also failed to declare a number of bank accounts under his name.

Investigations by the council's corporate anti-fraud team found that up to £300 in cash was being paid into these accounts by Hussein each week.

When challenge by officers he said other people were paying in the money but this was exposed as untrue.

As a result he illegally obtained £17,734 in housing benefit and £1,201 council tax benefit which the court also ordered him to pay back.

Councillor Greg Smith, H&F council cabinet member for residents' services, said: "When will these idiots learn that if you commit a benefit fraud offence in Hammersmith & Fulham you will be caught and you will be punished?

"Every penny counts as the council works to cut its historic debt of £133m and we will not let fraudsters help themselves to taxpayers cash."