TV dance man, 73, loses benefits

Mr Bowers lost the benefit 11 weeks ago

A Leicestershire 73-year-old who wowed audiences by breakdancing on Britain's Got Talent has had his benefit stopped.

Fred Bowers said the allowance he received for a leg injury has been suspended while the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigates.

Mr Bowers, from Loughborough, said: "I'm going to struggle on. They're not going to stop me from dancing."

A DWP spokesman said: "We do investigate and take seriously all accusations of fraudulent claims."

Mr Bowers, who injured his leg during a wartime accident, said he was unable to walk more than a few hundred yards but this does not affect his ability to dance.

Comedy act

He said he is hopeful the DWP will eventually reinstate his benefits, believed to be about £70 a week, and allow him to make a career out of dancing.

He added: "I've still got an actual disability and I can't walk very far but I can still dance. I use my head and back more while I'm dancing.

"I'm a comedian while I am up on stage, it makes people laugh. I just want to make people happy."

Mr Bowers, who made the semi-final of the TV talent show, said he was disappointed not to be picked for the ongoing Britain's Got Talent theatre tour, which features the winners Diversity and Scottish singer Susan Boyle.