THE end of a six week purge on benefit fraudsters living in Morecambe and Heysham has saved the taxpayer a million pounds so far. This week figures released by local Social Security fraud squads show that Operation Sandpiper's clampdown on people working and claiming benefits simultaneously, led to the withdrawal of 560 claims. The mission was part of on-going work to weed out people cheating the system.

In one Sunday operation of spot checks, teams of investigators swooped on pubs, arcades, restaurants between Regent Road and the prom and discovered 18 people wrongly claiming benefits. These people withdrew their claims with a saving of £43,000.

Investigators have also been working extensively with the police to catch people using stolen giros and benefit books as well as those forging claims. Now many offenders are being dealt with through the courts.

Andrew Wood, fraud investigation manager, said the public were applauding their work. "The messages coming through from the heartland of the West End is that we are doing a good job. We are extending the olive branch to people and they are grasping it," he said.

Investigators said they would also be tracking down suspect employers encouraging people to claim benefits while working in order to pay them lower wages. "Benefit fraud is not a victimless crime, the victim is the taxpayer," added Andrew.

Ring the national benefit fraud hotline on 0800 854440 if you can help with further inquiries.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.