A BUSINESSMAN and landlord is today a convicted benefit fraudster after he concealed some of his finances and sub-let his property.

Rebecca Ware, prosecuting, said Peter Francis Cullen, 50, claimed council tax relief and a single person council tax discount from September 2013 on the grounds he lived alone and had less than £500 in capital.

But he didn't include details about one of his bank accounts which contained more money that he was allowed to have for the full claim.

He also failed to tell Selby District Council when he started getting income by sub-letting the house where he paid council tax, and when he started running a business with over £120,000 going through his accounts in 18 months between February 2014 and July 2015.

Council officers became suspicious in August 2016 when four adults went on the electoral roll for the property where he was claiming he lived alone, and started investigating.

Cullen told York magistrates that when he made the initial claim, he had been made redundant and his partner had left him. He had since put himself back on his feet.

His caravan park business had been open for business since August and at the time of the court case, he had six lodgers paying £100 a week, plus a 14-stand caravan park where visitors paid £100 a month.

“It was a stupid decision by me,” he said of the benefit fraud. “I got myself into a situation I didn’t know how to get out of and buried my head in the sand.

Cullen, now of Broad Lane, Cawood, pleaded guilty to four offences of benefit fraud committed between September 2013 and June 27, 2015.

He was ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work and pay £1,006 costs to Selby District Council, who prosecuted the case, plus an £85 victim surcharge.

Miss Ware said as a result of his crimes, Cullen received £6,443 in council tax relief and a single person reduction he was not entitled to, and that he has repaid all the money.