Council acts over benefit cheats

A crackdown on benefit fraudsters has started in Brighton with the launch of a hotline to report cheats.

Brighton council said the line could be used to report any fraud affecting the authority, such as false insurance, council tax and housing benefit claims.

Council leader Simon Burgess said: "Fraud is not a victimless crime - it's your money. We want everyone to join us in stamping it out."

He said anyone making a false claim could end up with a criminal record.