A LIE detector used by a local authority to catch benefit cheats is saving taxpayers nearly £50,000 a month.

Since Harrow Council began using the experimental technology in May last year, more than £336,000 has been saved in fraudulently claimed benefits.

The technology, called Voice Risk Analysis, analyses a caller's voice patterns as they answer a number of questions.

If the machine identifies hestitation and avoiding direct questions it will flag up a person as high risk, prompting further investigation of the benefit claim.

Councillor Paul Osborn, portfolio holder for strategy and business support, praised the new technology.

He said: "It is very sophisticated. It is not quite a lie detector, but it's that kind of technology.

"It points us in the direction we need to be looking."

The council was the first to start using the experimental technology, as part of a project by the Department for Work and Pensions (DfWP).

The council believes the system has helped to deter benefit fraudsters as well as catch them, after the number of people volunteering new information during a call doubled since the experiment began.

The council will review the value of the technology in May this year, when the year-old experiment ends.

It will assess whether they can use the techniques appropriately in other areas.

Cllr Osborn said: "We hope to get further funding from the DfWP to continue using the technology after April.

"Anything that is saving taxpayers around £300 per working hour must be a very good thing."