Three Bromley residents have swindled the council and government out of thousands of pounds.

Hishom Elkot, of Thirlmere Rise in Bromley, pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud at Croydon Crown Court.

Elkot, 53, defrauded Bromley Council out of £5,904 in council tax benefits from December 2007 to April 2013.

He also fraudulently claimed £39,141 in employment, support allowance and incapacity benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

A national fraud initiative 'data matching exercise' found Elkot had failed to declare he was in fact in work, earning himself a hefty amount of money, and also failed to declare bank accounts.

On November 6, Elkot was handed a 26 week sentence suspended for two years. He is also on a dusk till dawn curfew for six months, enforced by an electronic tag.

As well as having to pay back the amounts in full to the council and DWP, he must also pay £2,500 costs within six months.

Meanwhile, a couple, Andrew and Carol Knott, 55 and 59, defrauded the council out of council and housing benefits to the tune of £5,310, from August 2011 to March 2014.

They also swindled the DWP out of £9,163 over a similar period.

The couple pleaded guilty to fraud after an anonymous allegation led to an investigation revealing they had not declared capital held in undeclared bank accounts.

The Knotts, formerly of Summer Close in Farnborough, were sentenced on November 5 by Bromley Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Knott received a six month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a four month dusk till dawn curfew, enforced by an electronic tag.

Mrs Knott received a four month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a two month curfew.

They were both ordered to pay £350 costs and an £80 victim surcharge each.

They have repaid the overpayment, but will both still have criminal records.

Chairman of Bromley’s Audit Committee Councillor Neil Reddin said: "These cases demonstrate how cooperation with other bodies and the importance of receiving information from any sources can lead to cheats being caught and prosecuted.

"We must protect public funds and ensure they are used only for people in genuine need."