Fraud investigators are determined to claw back thousands of pounds falsely claimed in disability benefits by a marathon runner who said he needed a wheelchair.

A confiscation order will be heard on March 22 for the GBP22,309 Paul Appleby, 47, had taken since 2001 in disability living allowance while running in long-distance events.

After Appleby was handed a ten-month jail term yesterday, Steve Mitchell, East Mid lands fraud manager for the Department for Work and Pensions, (DWP) said: “This clearly shows benefit fraud is taken very seriously and people do get caught.” Appleby, from Park Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, told the DWP it took him five minutes to walk 55 yards.

On benefit forms he claimed to be unable to walk without a frame, that he was largely confined to a wheelchair and needed help using the toilet.

But in 2002 he had completed the London marathon in a respectable three hours and 37 minutes.

Last year he competed in the Robin Hood marathon. And since joining athletics club the Sutton Harriers in 2001, he ran in several ten-kilometre races for charity.

Appleby, a former miner, was granted disability living allowance in March 1994 after being forced to retire through a back injury.

But as his genuine condition then improved he failed to notify the DWP.

Appleby has one previous conviction of obtaining property by deception in September 2001. Sentencing him, Judge David Price said: “Within months of that conviction you were committing further deceptions.

“As a result you used up over GBP22,000.

“You were clearly fit enough to work and I am satisfied that you would not have been entitled to any benefits that you were allowed to claim yourself.

“Your offending amounted to blatant dishonesty and that is the sort of dishonesty that affects every tax ayer in this country. They funded for you what must have been a very comfy life style.” In mitigation, Sarah Munro said Appleby would have been able to claim up to GBP8,800 to care for his wife who began to suffer depression in 2001.

She added: “Mr Appleby would have been entitled, had he not still been claiming his disability living allowance, to be her carer.

“He could have got a job but his wife has been significantly ill. He has been able to maintain the care for his wife and complete the half and full marathons.” After the case, anti-fraud ninister James Plaskitt said: “This case sends a stark warning to anyone committing benefit fraud: Do it and you could face a criminal record.” Do you have information about benefit fraud? Call the National Benefit Fraud hotline on 0800 854 440

TAG: disability fraud, world disability news