A fraudster who claimed more than £8,000 in benefits while he was working has been ordered to serve 150 hours community service.

Benefit cheat Bakana Michael Mwamba, 37, of Moreton Road, South Croydon, made several claims for Job Seekers Allowance, housing and council tax benefit.

But he failed to tell the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) and Croydon Council that he had worked for Royal Mail as an HR administrator from August 2002 to October 2003 and at Claireville Homes as a care assistant for a year from July 2004.

As a result of his dishonesty, he got housing and council tax benefit of £4232 and Income Support of £3947.

Mwamba pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to four charges under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, for dishonestly failing to give a prompt notification of a change of circumstances.

He had earlier pleaded not guilty at magistrates' court and elected to go to crown court for trial but changed his plea to guilty.

He was ordered to pay back all the money and a compensation order was granted for the sum of £3,468 to the DWP and £1,984 to Croydon Council, to be paid back at a rate of £30 a week. Mwamba was also ordered to pay £400 costs.