A fraudster who claimed more than £30,000 of bogus council tax refunds by using false identities and stolen cheque books has been jailed.

Viren Amin, 39, of Pinner Road, Harrow was sentenced to 14 months in prison at Harrow Crown Court on Friday, June 19 after pleading guilty to 27 counts of fraud.

The court heard how between March 2013 and August 2014, Amin scammed Barnet council of more than £28,000, and Merton council of more than £4,000.

A seven-month investigation, led by Barnet council’s corporate anti-fraud team (CAFT), discovered Amin had set about opening new council tax accounts for properties using false identities.

He then visited post offices and used stolen cheques to pay the council tax in full, before contacting the authority a short time later to close the account and request a refund.

Bank records and CCTV images were used by council officers to link Amin to 20 fraudulent transactions in Barnet, and seven in Merton.

Sentencing Amin, Mr Recorder JC Rouse QC, said: “You cannot suggest this was just a result of a low moment, it was a concerted effort to deceive the taxpayer out of a substantial sum of money.

“This was a fraud carried out over a long period of time and it required considerable planning. In my judgement this is so serious an offence that only a custodial sentence can be justified.”

Leader of Barnet council Councillor Richard Cornelius said: “This was a highly organised deception to pocket a significant sum of taxpayers’ money.

“This case sends out the very clear message that anyone attempting to cheat the system will be caught and ultimately dealt with by the courts.

“The thorough investigation carried out by officers is testament to the hard work and skill of the council’s corporate anti-fraud team.”