Fraud investigators working for Swindon Borough Council have saved taxpayers more than £750,000.

The total 'nominal and actual savings made by the teams work comes to £764,693.

One of the major savings has been £211,000 clawed back from fraudulent claims for single person's discount on council tax.

There was even a saving in the cost of the team working on that, which was originally estimated at £80,000 and is now likely to be £70,000.

Significant sums were also saved or realised by identifying houses listed as empty but which are actually occupied. More than 290 such properties were identified, which should see Euclid Street receive another £204,000 in New Homes Bonus from Whitehall.

Three right to by applications were stopped by the team, resulting in a discount of £220 being 'saved', and eight fraudulent housing applications were stopped, with a nominal saving of £144,000.

Overpayment or false claims for housing benefit to the tune of £25,000 has also been identified.