A Thornton Heath man who dishonestly claimed more than £16,000 in benefits has been given an 18-month community punishment and ordered to repay the money after a tip off from the public.

Chef Clive Milton Burgess, 52, of Gonville Road, allowed a false tenancy agreement to be submitted to Croydon Council by his partner, Christine Smith, to obtain housing and council tax benefit He also failed to notify the council when he and Ms Smith married in March 2003.

The fraud, which lasted from 2000 to 2005, cost the council more than £41,000 in housing benefits.

Between 2000 and 2003, Ms Smith made claims for housing benefits at two homes Mr Burgess owned.

He was sent benefit cheques until November 2003, more than eight months after the couple were married in Jamaica.

Mr Burgess was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to two offences on February 20.

The fraud came to light after a public tip off to the Department for Works and Pensions.

Christine Smith pleaded guilty to her part of the fraud in January 2006 and was sentenced in March last year.

The court heard Mr Burgess realised he had done a very stupid thing and had a clean record without any previous convictions.

It also heard Mr Burgess was extremely remorseful and wanted to pay the money back.

Sentencing, Judge Pratt told Mr Burgess he had come very close to a jail term but his guilty plea and sensible offer to pay the money back had spared him imprisonment.

Cabinet member for finance Councillor Tim Pollard said: "Benefit fraud is a serious crime and we will pursue anyone who tries to cheat the system all the way to court.

"People who commit benefit fraud are depriving others in genuine need and we won't allow them to get away with it."