A FORMER town councillor has been imprisoned for fraud.

Malcolm Belchamber, 70, of East Ham Road, Littlehampton, was sentenced to a total of 18 months imprisonment at Hove Crown Court on Monday for two offences of fraud, following a Sussex Police investigation.

Belchamber, a former Littlehampton Town Councillor, had been convicted of the two offences on June 19 after a trial at the same court.

Belchamber received 12 months for having in November 2014 made or supplied an article for use in fraud - a letter falsely stating to Arun District Council that a local council tenant was entitled to a higher rate of housing benefit, contrary to the Fraud Act 2006.

He also received a further six months imprisonment, to run consecutively to the first sentence, for having between 2004 and 2005 written a letter to the same council purporting to have come from the Home Office stating that the same man had indefinite leave to remain in the UK, contrary to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.

The prosecution, authorised by the CPS, followed an investigation by detectives from the Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit, which began when information was supplied that Belchamber had been dismissed by his employers, Leaders, for gross misconduct.

Although Belchamber was a Littlehampton Town Councillor at the time of the offences, they were unrelated to his council work.

Chief inspector Justin Burtenshaw of Sussex Police said: "Belchamber plainly felt that he was above the law and wouldn’t be troubled by a criminal investigation.

"He was prepared to lie and blame a co-worker for an offence which ultimately defrauded public money.

"His sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences, which sits in stark contrast to the conduct the public would expect of someone in his position."