A 42-year-old Kidderminster man who falsely claimed more than £5,000 in benefits has been given a 100-hour community order.

Russell Kemp, of Wood Street, will also have to pay back the money to Wyre Forest District Council and magistrates ordered him to cover the cost of the court case.

Kidderminster Magistrates Court heard that Kemp continued claiming benefit between August, 2003 and December, 2004 as if he was not working. As a result, he was overpaid £4,245 in housing benefit and £929 in council tax benefit.

Kemp pleaded guilty to one charge of dishonestly producing a document and one charge of failing to notify the district council about a change in his circumstances. Prosecuting for the council, Dermot Scully told the court Kemp had failed to tell the authority he had stopped receiving Job Seekers' Allowance in December, 2003 after starting work.

Councillor John Campion, the council's cabinet member for finance and corporate affairs, said: "The council needs to know when claimants' situations change so we can adjust their benefits accordingly. If we are not told, as in this case, and they continue to claim benefits they may find themselves in court.

"Benefit fraud has a large effect on society as a whole and we are committed to cracking down on it."

The district council has a confidential benefit fraud hotline for reports of suspected false claims, on 01562 732658.