A former cabbie who had £90,000 in cash and shares stashed in the bank while he claimed benefits, has been labelled “criminally stupid” by fraud investigators.

Inyat Hussain, 59, was told by a judge that he would have to pay back more than £40,000 he dishonestly pocketed over almost six years.

Hussain was convicted by a jury of four offences of concealing his assets to falsely claim Income Support.

He was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court yesterday as the Department of Work and Pensions warned it is tightening the net on benefit frauds in the area.

Throughout his trial, Hussain, a father-of-five, of Park View Road, Manningham, had maintained his cash stash was money he was keeping for his children.

The judge, Recorder Christopher Attwooll, sentenced him to 51 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months with 12 months’ supervision.

He spared Hussain an immediate jail term after hearing he was not a well man and had been provided many character references from his community.

The court heard that a Proceeds of Crime Application was being made to get back the £40,000.

Hussain had been found guilty by a jury in August of making false statements to claim Income Support and retaining a wrongful credit, between March, 2000 and January, 2006.

Diana Maudslay, prosecuting for the Department of Work and Pensions, told the court Hussain and his wife had £90,000 in cash and shares in bank accounts.

Benefit investigators found the assets in Halifax and Yorkshire Building Society accounts in the sole names of the couple.

Anyone with more than £8,000 in savings is ineligible for Income Support.

Hussain began claiming benefit after suffering a heart attack and being unable to continue driving for a living.

After the case, a DWP spokesman said: “We are closing in on those guilty of stealing money intended for the most vulnerable in society.

“This tiny minority can expect no sympathy from the public, from the courts, or from our investigators.

“Lying to the Department of Work and Pensions to get money you are not entitled to is a crime. Expecting to get away with it is criminally stupid.

“With the help of the public using our National Benefit Fraud Hotline 0800 854440 we are closing in on benefit thieves and stopping them.”

In mitigation to the court, Hussain’s solicitor advocate, Michael Reeves, said his client was a caring and useful member of society who helped disadvantaged children.