Alleged benefit cheat secretly filmed running 5k races in Perth

A woman who claimed over £13,000 in benefits as she could 'barely walk' has been secretly filmed running 5k races in Perth.

Beverly Dott received the highest level of mobility benefits after telling government officers she had severly limited movement.

But after investigators told her she had been reported and monitored, she admitted she had been regularly running 5k in around 30 minutes.

During interview, she said: "I generally go every other day, but other periods I've managed to go two or three days in a row.

"It just depends on how my legs are feeling and whether I'm tired or not. I tend to stick to around 5k. Sometimes it's more, sometimes less.

"I've done the Perth Santa run twice which is just 5k. I did the Couch to 5K app. I had never done running before."

Solicitor Cliff Culley, representing her at the DWP interview, asked: "Are you running like Mo Farah?"

Dott replied: "I'm not the fastest person on earth. I'm not racing anybody. I take 30 to 35 minutes normally."

She said she "put on a brave face" but also admitted she had been filmed walking the 1.1 kilometre round trip to school twice a day without any apparent difficulty.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that in her original claim form she had described how she struggled to walk more than 100 metres without breaks.

She also said she could barely walk outside without the support of her husband but an investigation was launched after the benefits agency received an anonymous tip-off about Dott's regular 5k runs.

Investigation leader Fiona Aitken told the trial: "She had been seen walking on a regular basis and was undertaking 5k runs. The information was sent from an anonymous source.

"It was sent for consideration of surveillance, which is how we deal with what we class as a doubtful disability investigation."

Mrs Aitken told the court that Dott's original claim forms - from shortly after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2008 - were recovered and studied.

"When I'm out I rely on a children's pram for support or I have to hold onto my husband's arm. I stumble frequently, because of my poor balance," she said.

Mrs Aitken said an undercover team went out and filmed Dott on four separate occasions during the first few months of 2017.

She said the filming had to be cut short because of complaints about the video recording taking place in close proximity to a school.

Mrs Aitken said the DWP did not dispute Dott's medical condition but believed the effect it had upon her was less than she had been claiming.

The court heard that Dott was being paid the higher level of mobility allowance because she was "virtually unable to walk" according to her application.

Mrs Aitken told the court that Dott had claimed £13,213.25 between 2 July 2014 and 12 September 2017.

That is the figure she is accused of fraudulently obtaining by failing to notify the DWP of a change in her condition.

She denies the charge and the trial before Sheriff Keith O'Mahoney continues