Three sacked as screw turns on council cheats

By [sedwards]

Anti-fraud investigators at Lincolnshire's biggest council have sacked three people and passed another three cases onto police.

False time sheets, forged cheques and wrong insurance claims totalling more than £300,000 are among the cases landing in investigators' in-trays.

Lincolnshire County Council has managed to claw back £132,400 in false payments. But it suspects that at least £319,850 has been stolen - not counting other cases where losses have yet to be identified.

The council has an entire department dedicated to looking into claims of fraud made about both its staff and its contractors.

In addition to the three dismissals, the authority issued final written warnings to 11 employees.

Four members of staff resigned, one was given a police caution and another one was prosecuted.

Head of corporate audit Lucy Pledge said she fears that fraud will rise during the recession.

"The economic downturn increases the risk," she said, adding, "we want more of these cases to be prosecuted by police".

For more on the fraud investigations at Lincolnshire County Council, see Tuesday's Echo.