A benefits cheat from Wolverhampton who hid tens of thousands of pounds in bank accounts while claiming more than £20,000 in state handouts has been jailed.

David Bryant, aged 51, ran a Mitsubishi pick-up truck and even bought a £6,000 motorbike while claiming cash from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Wolverhampton Crown Court  heard yesterday how Bryant had been claiming income support since 1994 on the basis that he was unable to work and he had no income other than his disability living allowance.

But benefits chiefs received a tip-off that he was sitting on cash stored in bank accounts.

Bryant bought his own council house in Coalport Road, Eastfield, for £26,000 in February 2004.

In January 2004, he withdrew more than £3,000 over a 15-day period, while in November that year he withdrew £7,600.

Bryant, who has convictions for dishonesty and burglary going back to the 1970s, admitted a single charge of failing to notify a change in his circumstances.

It spanned a period between June 2003 and April 2008 when he defrauded the state out of £21,854.

Recorder Nicholas Cartwright said Bryant’s claims, which had been going on for 30 years, had started legitimately. But he had come into money and lied when asked if he had cash stored in a bank.

He added: “In relation to your other bank account, it wasn’t unusual for you to withdraw £300 every single day for days on end.

“For genuine benefits recipients and taxpayers who funded these payments to you, it would be a shock to see just how well off you were in terms of your house, your vehicles and cash in your bank accounts, knowing that you were claiming benefits at the same time.”

“This really was cheating the system.”

Bryant was jailed for 22 weeks. Mr Chris O’Gorman, defending, said Bryant had accepted his guilt, albeit on the day of trial. He was said to have been devastated by the death of his wife and was caring for a woman who was seriously ill.