Ali Aqeel Salamat (34), of Clifton Avenue, was found guilty at Oldham Magistrates’ Court of failing to notify the council that he worked as a taxi-driver while claiming £295.76 in benefits from July 1, 2004, to January 17, 2005.

Salamat’s case was investigated after he completed a housing and council tax benefit claim form in which he declared that he and his wife, Naveen Akhtar, received working and child-tax credits.

He also said that he earned a gross pay of £91.30 for working 20 hours a week as a shop-floor worker but did not state any other earned income.

The trial heard that on October 10, 2005, Salamat completed another form in which he said he did not work but received £100 every two weeks for taxi rent from June 2, 2005. His case was passed to the council’s benefit fraud unit when it was found he had not declared income received from his position as a Labour councillor.

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