A television show has lifted the lid on the council’s pursuit of a benefit cheat.

Croydon Council’s fraud team, together with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), were highlighted for their conviction of benefit fraudster James Ivor Jones, broadcast on BBC show Saints and Scroungers on Friday January 6.

The 46-year-old had pocketed £90,000 over his 13-year scam, by claiming incapacity, housing and council tax benefits while secretly working several jobs using the fake name Stephen Gooding.

Jones was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court in January 2011 to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work.

Presenter Dominic Littlewood spoke to council fraud investigator Gail Campbell who began investigating after a tip-off to the DWP.

She said: “We did not have any need to be looking at his claim for benefits.

“We discovered he had been claiming housing and council tax benefits from 1999 right up to 2010.”

Jones was pretending to be Stephen Gooding, and was working as a tram driver while claiming benefits.

Mrs Campbell confirmed Jones would not be able to drive a tram if he had the incapacity he was claiming for.

The programme revealed how a joint sting operation between the DWP and the council was set up outside Purley job centre to capture footage of Jones.

The surveillance tapes confirmed Jones was the man in the photo ID of tram driver Stephen Gooding and he was promptly arrested.

Mrs Campbell said: “He was shocked, surprised and speechless.”

During his court appearance it was revealed he had previously used the same name to work as a minicab driver and at hardware store B&Q, all while claiming incapacity benefits for degenerative conditions Ankylosis Spondilosis and Reiter’s Syndrome.

His wife Kay Wheadon-Jones had covered for her husband when he admitted his deceit but avoided jail after the judge decided she would not have become involved in the crime without pressure from her husband.