ELEVEN people, including seven from the same family, have appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged in connection with a large scale benefits fraud.

Some of the defendants are charged with theft of £1,671 belonging to a man who had died while a tenant in one of the houses involved in the fraud.

Miss Anisa Zarif, 24, Atif Zarif, 19, Faizal Zarif, 30, Mrs Khalida Zarif, 49, all of Preston New Road, Blackburn, Sakib Zarif, 31, of Redlam, Blackburn, David Vincent Neale, 51, of Exeter Street, Blackburn, and Anthony Preece, 46, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, are all charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions. Mohammed Zarif, 59, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose to the DWP that his tenant, Daniel Walker, had died which he was under a legal duty to disclose intending to make a gain by continuing to receive benefits.

Patrick William Leggat, 43, of Selborne Street, Blackburn, Mohammed Sadiq, 45, of Hollin Bridge Street, Blackburn, Khalida Zarif and Sakib Zarif are all charged with theft of £1,671 belonging to Daniel Walker.

Neale is also charged with dishonestly failing to disclose he did not have the assistance of a driver or use of a mobility vehicle intending to make a gain, namely the continued payment of Personal Independent Payment.

Preece is also charged with dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement to his health with the intention of continuing to receive Disability Living Allowance.

Anisa Zarif and Atif Zarif are charged with dishonestly failing to disclose there had been an improvement in the health of Sakib Zarif intending to make a gain, namely the continued payment of carers allowance.

Faizal Zarif is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in the health of Khalida Zarif and Fozia Zarif intending by that failure to continue receiving carers allowance.

Fozia Zarif is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in her health resulting in continued payment of disability living allowance.

Khalida Zarif is charged with failing to disclose and improvement in her health in order to continue receiving benefits.

Sakib Zarif is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in his health resulting in the continued payment of Personal Independent Payment.

All the defendants were sent on bail to Preston Crown Court where they will appear on August 19.