A TULLIBODY man who falsely claimed thousands of pounds in benefits has been admonished after proving that he is paying the money back.

Werner Franz Fotheringham received £4,404 in jobseekers allowance despite getting a pension and having capital in excess of the lower limit.

The fraud continued for more than 18 months, between December 11, 2013 and August 25, 2015.

Fotheringham knowingly failed to notify to the Department of Work and Pensions of a change in circumstance which he knew would affected his right to claim jobseekers allowance.

Sentencing had originally been deferred for a year so that Fotheringham, of The Orchard, Tullibody, could be of good behaviour and begin repaying the sum.

The 64-year-old appeared in Alloa Sheriff Court unrepresented last Thursday, but handed Sheriff David Mackie a sheet of accounts which proved that he had paid a “significant” amount back so far and had a payment plan in place for the remaining total.

He was admonished for his crime, but required to stick to his payment plan.