A BENEFIT cheat was caught swindling benefits just seven months after being slapped on the wrist for the same offence.

Mark Tracey, of Frilsham Street in Sutton Courtenay, was given a three-year conditional discharge for benefit fraud in March 2005.

In October 2005, the 38-year old father-of-three was employed by Dixons but carried on claiming income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit.

This carried on until June 2006, which amounted to Tracey fraudulently claiming a total of £10,398 in benefits.

The Vale of White Horse District Council was alerted when Tracey wrote to let them know he had a full-time job, 31 weeks late.

Tracey admitted three charges of failing to notify the council of a change in circumstances and one charge of a breach of conditional discharge. He was sentenced at Didcot Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

David Jones, prosecuting, told the court that Tracey was given a chance to re-pay the money, but had not done so.

Tracey, who represented himself, said he started working part time at Dixons as he had serious problems with his heart.

He said: "We were in a very difficult position, myself and my wife were in a considerable amount of debt and it was literally robbing Peter to pay Paul.

"It wasn't right, I accept that, but we didn't have any option at that time.

"When I found out we shouldn't have signed on, I was already in trouble and I just thought because of the last occasion that would just make it worse. Now I can see I should have said something at the time, I know I was in the wrong."

Frank Smith, chairman of the bench, sentenced Tracey to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was told to pay back £3,500 and to pay costs of £250.

Mr Smith warned Tracey that he had narrowly escaped imprisonment.

He said: "These are very serious offences and custody was not ruled out.

"There is a large sum of benefits involved, over £10,000, and this fraud was committed over a period of 31 weeks and you knew the likely outcome of committing these offences."

After sentencing, Paul Howden, revenues and benefits manager at the council, said: "It's simply not on and we will do everything we can to stop this thieving from the public purse."