A FRAUDSTER who cheated the public purse for 17 years has appeared before York magistrates.

Mark Wood, 55, got a total council tax deduction of nearly £5,000 by claiming that he lived alone and was therefore entitled to the single person’s discount.

But an anonymous caller tipped off City of York Council’s fraud investigation service Veritau that he was living with his partner.

Wood, of Lingwood Link, Clifton, pleaded guilty to several charges of council tax fraud.

Magistrates fined him £373, plus the council’s costs of £760.80 and a £37 victim surcharge.

A council spokesman said Wood claimed the 25 per cent discount for 17 years from 2000 and had signed several forms saying that he was the only adult resident.

As a result, he had paid £4,744.83 less council tax than he should have done.

Cllr David Carr, executive member for finance and planning, said: “Falsely claiming single person discount is a crime which the council will prosecute.

“Thanks to the actions of the person who reported this, we’ve been able to recoup this significant sum of taxpayers' money in what is one of the longest-running frauds of this sort in York.”

The council has its own procedures for recovering money lost through fraud including civil law enforcement.