A HAMPSHIRE MEP has been warned by a judge that he faces a prison sentence after he was found guilty of a massive £73,000 benefits fraud.

Ashley Mote, who represents south-east England in the European Parliament, used the money to pay off credit card debts that he had built up funding his "extravagant lifestyle".

The 71-year-old was convicted by a jury of 21 charges of deception.

According to the MEP's website Mote started his own international marketing business in 1972, helping major industrial companies to increase their export business. At one time the company had offices in Houston and Atlanta, USA, Geneva and London.

The court heard after he lost the business he then began to claim income support, housing benefits and council tax benefits.

But he failed to notify the benefits agency when he began earning money through various enterprises including spread betting on currency markets during the period of February 1996 and September 2002, during which period he received £73,000 in benefits.

The married father-of-two represents the south-east of England and holds his office in Alton.

He was first elected to the European Parliament in 2004 as a member of UKIP, but the party threw him out just days after when they discovered the charges against him.

Since then he has continued to serve as an independent MEP.

Responding to the verdict UKIP leader Nigel Farage said in a statement: "We are pleased that finally justice has been done.

"Mr Mote lied to UKIP on his application form to be an MEP candidate.

"If we had discovered just 48 hours earlier that this case was pending he would never have been elected an MEP.

"Subsequent to our discovering the truth Mr Mote was immediately removed from the party and never took his seat as a UKIP MEP.

"UKIP and the voters of the south east have been defrauded for three years by Mr Mote."

Mote was found guilty of eight charges of false accounting, eight of obtaining a money transfer by deception, four of evading liability and one of failing to notify a change of circumstances.

He was acquitted of a further four charges in the case brought by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Mote, now of Binsted, Hampshire, was released on bail with the conditions he surrender both his British and diplomatic passports and provides £50,000 in sureties.

Judge Richard Price warned him he faced a custodial sentence and ordered pre-sentence reports.

The case was adjourned to a provisional date of August 31 for sentencing.