A SOUTHAMPTON couple fleeced taxpayers of more than £30,000 by failing to disclose they had been working while on benefit.

Although their claims were initially legitimate, George and Maureen Dunn both obtained work and carried on receiving financial support. At one stage, the pair were both at one stage working as door supervisors.

Jodie Mittell, prosecuting at the city crown court, said Dunn then had jobs as a cleaner, a warehouseman and a supermarket worker before finally coming clean about their status.

As a result, the couple had received £31,516 overpayment from November 2002 to July, 2005 in terms of income support, incapacity benefit and housing and council tax benefit.

Both were now bankrupt.

George Dunn, 41, of Walnut Avenue, Swaythling, admitted 13 fraud charges and was jailed for eight months.

Judge John Boggis QC said he was sparing his 37-year-old wife an immediate prison sentence because someone had to look after their five children.

She received a six-month suspended term coupled with 150 hours' community service after pleading guilty to 12 similar allegations.

Mrs Dunn burst into tears when she heard he was going to jail before they embraced and kissed each other good-bye.

The court was told Dunn had to give up his scaffolding job after getting blood poisoning from a botched body piercing. They couldn't make ends meet on their short term jobs and the benefit money was spent on their family.

Mitigating, Charles Cochand said: "He genuinely feels bad about it and is making recompense from a lean purse. He had never been in trouble until the accident which threw them into taking desperate measures."

For his wife, Natasha Croom said if the couple had only notified the agencies of the situation, they would have received help.

"She admits she buried her head in the sand and acknowledges what they were doing, was wrong. The money was spent on survival and not high living."