A BENEFITS cheat, who ripped off the taxpayer for more than £40,000 over six years, has been jailed for 12 months.

At one stage John Shrimpton, 61, was holding down three jobs and still claiming financial help from the state.

Prosecutor Alice Missions described how Shrimpton's deceit began in 1998 when he claimed incapacity benefit and income support after citing a prolapsed disc - although he was working as a security guard at the time.

He left the company in 2003, but within two weeks he was reemployed by the same company and subsequently got himself further work.

The lawyer told Southampton Crown Court that Shrimpton made a false application for council house tax benefit in 2005, and he was employed by three different companies.

She said: "The fraud lasted six years and four months and he claimed benefit to which he was not entitled which totalled £41,153.39."

Shrimpton, of Woodlands Way, Bursledon, pleaded guilty at Southampton Magistrates' Court to three offences of making a false statement to obtain benefit, and was committed to the city crown court for sentence.

In mitigation, Peter Humphris said that it would take Shrimpton a considerable time to pay back the money, which had not been spent on an extravagant lifestyle.

He said: "This was not a particularly sophisticated fraud."

Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Leigh QC said that he took into account Shrimpton's difficult financial and family situation as well as his poor health and age.

He added: "But you obtained in excess of £41,000 over six years by perpetrating this fraud. This was not a claim that was legitimate at the outset and then committed when you failed to notify the authorities of a change of circumstances.

"It was committed from the outset and there can only be an immediate sentence of imprisonment."