Nearly half a million pounds of Swindon taxpayers' money has been saved by the borough council's fraud team in the first five months of the financial year.

A project targeting council tax single person discount fraud has identified £136,999 of additional council tax to be billed, and £15,9965 has been levied in relation to the council tax reduction scheme.

The figures are contained in a report to the council's Audit Committee to be made at its meeting on Monday.

It also details the nominal saving of £108,000 through the 'recovery' of six properties by the housing fraud team.

Two right to buy applications have been stopped meaning a discount of £140,000.

One fraudulent housing application was stopped meaning a saving of £54,000.

Overpayment or fraud of housing benefit to the tune of £12,363 has been identified bring the total of actual and nominal savings to £467,368.