Caught in the Act: Benefit Fraudster Who Stole £9K Spotted Riding a Motorbike After Claiming He Couldn't Walk 20 Meters

THIS is the moment a benefits fraudster who swindled £9,000 is caught riding a motorbike after claiming he couldn’t walk more than 20 metres.

Tony Rose, 32, was convicted after by falsely claiming thousands of pounds in personal independence payments (PIP).

Rose was caught jumping on his bike Credit: SWNS The fraudster claimed he could not walk further than 20 metres Credit: SWNS

Rose, from Erith, South East London, told the Department of Work and (DWP) he needed help washing, cleaning, cooking and dressing.

But after an anonymous tip-off, the fraudster was spotted riding a motorbike and walking without an aid on several occasions.

In one clip, he can be seen brazenly a cigarette before casually hopping on the bike and zooming down the road.

Rose – who swindled £8,800 in less than a year – was spared jail at Bromley Magistrates’ Court.

Rose swindled £8,800 in less than a year, the DWP said Credit: SWNS He started to claim PIP in November 2017 for his spinal and mental health conditions Credit: SWNS

Magistrate Patrick Mellody said Rose had “ripped off the system”, before handing him a suspended 14-week sentence.

The court heard Rose had suffered from a genuine spinal condition since the age of seven.

Over the course of his life, he has undergone three major surgeries and been left bed bound at various times.

Rose started to claim PIP in November 2017 for his spinal and mental conditions.

He was caught out during secret surveillance at his home between January and March 2023 Credit: SWNS He was also seen leaving without a walking aid and going to a waste disposal plant in the early hours Credit: SWNS

He claimed he needed to use a wheelchair for mobility.

Five years later, the DWP received an anonymous tip about Rose alleging doubtful and undeclared cash-in-hand .

He was caught out during secret surveillance at his home between January and March 2023.

Rose was seen leaving without a walking aid and going to a waste disposal plant in the early hours.

Further footage showed him removing a cover from a motorbike, walking the bike from his property and riding it away unaided.

Prosecutor Dami Oyedepo said: “If his claims were true at the beginning, the surveillance showed that this was no longer the case.”

The DWP said he had been overpaid more than £8,800 over ten months.

Rose initially made no admission when he was first quizzed by cops.

But, in May, he eventually pleaded guilty to failing to notify a change in circumstances that would affect his entitlement.

Mitigating, Aderinsayo Adeyumi said Rose initially claimed PIP legitimately, but failed to inform the DWP when his condition improved.

He also said that his health condition puts him at risk of being paralysed in the future.

Adeyumi told the court: “His understanding was that he was signed on for 10 years and there was no review during that time.”

Rose was judged not to be eligible for unpaid work, but was ordered to repay £1,000.

Mr Mellody said: “We’ve reluctantly dropped the compensation down by £7,500 as you have no with which to pay it back.”

Rose will receive a Loss of Benefit Penalty for a minimum of 13 weeks if he is eligible for a benefit in the future.

DWP Minister for Transformation Andrew Western said: “The message is clear – don’t think you can steal from hard-working taxpayers.

“Whatever your reasons for committing benefit fraud, know that our investigators are wise to every trick in the book and you cannot race off with money that shouldn’t be yours.

“And if you know somebody is fleecing the system, report it.”