A 48-year-old father-of-three received overpayment of benefits of more than £26,000 by not revealing that he and his partner were living together.

James Fogg signed declarations on various occasions over a four year period that he and Michelle Lloyd were not living as man and wife.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Fogg was given a 12-month community order and must complete 80 hours unpaid work and pay £200 towards the court costs.

Fogg, of Clayton Close, Knowbury, near Ludlow, had admitted seven charges of dishonestly making false statements in relation to Employment Support Allowance and housing and council tax benefits between September, 2010 and October, 2014.

The court heard that £16,000 of the monies paid to Fogg was for unemployment benefit which he received on the basis he was living as a single man.

Mr Graham Russell, prosecuting, said that inquiries into Miss Lloyds bank statements showed that not to be correct.

Mr Brendan Reedy, for Fogg, said his client had been an electrical engineer but had to stop work because of a back injury in 2010 and had not claimed benefits before.

He said the couple had separated because of financial strain that initial claims were not fraudulent.

They got back together a short time later, but Fogg had failed to notify the change in his circumstances.

Mr Reedy said there had been no "high living" and the family had been struggling, but if a lawful claim had been made the family would have received approximately the same amount of money.