A former miner from Cowdenbeath has been jailed after making a false benefit claim and receiving £5,000.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard it was the second such fraud committed by grandfather Robert Dryburgh.

The 61-year-old, of Primmer Place, admitted that on November 6 2012 and October 6 2014 he knowingly made false statements to officials of the Department of Work and Pensions in claims for Income Support.

He claimed he was not in receipt of a pension when in fact he was as a former mineworker and he received £5,000 to which he was not entitled.

Defence solicitor Michael Sweeney said: “He has an analogous conviction from 2012 but on that occasion it was a failure to disclose that his wife was working.

“He is still having deductions taken from his benefits from that first offence, which will continue for some time. Then deductions will start to be taken off for this offence.”

Mr Sweeney said his client lived with his wife and they had four grandchildren.

“He’s unable to leave the house very often because of his health,” he added.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher said: “This is the second time that this has happened and it occurred just after the previous offence.

“I don’t think there’s any difference between the two offences. It’s a failure to disclose information one after the other.”

He jailed Dryburgh for four months.