A former councillor who swindled tens-of-thousands of pounds in benefits from his own authority has been ordered to repay the money and more besides today.

Former Labour representative Joginder Saroe, 62, faces two years in prison if he fails to pay back more than £45,000 he cheated out of Ealing Council and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Last March, the Beaconsfield Road resident admitted seven charges of false accounting and one of obtaining money transfers by deception.

He was caught using a gym while claiming disability allowance and claimed housing and council tax benefit from his own authority while owning another property.

When he appeared at Isleworth Crown Court today (Monday) for a financial hearing, prosecutor Rossano Cifonelli said he would "seek to suggest there was considerably more pecuniary advantage than the simple benefit figure.

“There is a criminal benefit figure of more than £200,000 and a suggestion of assets hidden of an even greater amount.”

He told the court an investigation had uncovered a further two houses owned by Saroe, who had only been sentenced on the basis of owning one other property.

Mr Cifonelli said: “The defendant presented a picture of a person who owned one property and was in desperate financial straits. But the financial investigations revealed that he actually owned a further two properties.

“So he was sentenced on a basis that was not accurate at the time and I will be calling the investigator to clarify proceedings."

He went on to say there was a "direct benefit figure of £219,210" and a figure for "realisable assets of £120,000".

Suggesting these assets should be confiscated and compensation paid to the council and the DWP, from that sum, Mr Cifonelli concluded: "This is a matter that the prosecution feels somewhat aggrieved about, but at the same time accept that it would be the best way forward".

After an adjournment for discussions between the two sides the judge, Recorder Joanna Glynn QC made the order asked for by the prosecution.

She said the benefit to Saroe was £219,210.73 and the realisable assets were £120,000 of which £31,752.74 should go to the Borough and £13,280.53 to the DWP. She gave him six months to pay and set a term of two years imprisonment in default.

The former Dormers Wells councillor, who once worked for British Airways, was originally investigated for claiming disability allowance while attending the exclusive David Lloyd Club and driving an expensive Mercedes car with personalised number plates – again parked outside the court today.

Mr Saroe, one of the first Punjabi Sikhs to settle in the area, first claimed income support when a business failed in 1994. That claim was legitimate until August 1998 when he started renting out a property he had bought in Mid-Glamorgan, Wales, said counsel.

Mr Cifonelli said: “He was receiving about £250 a week in rental for a flat above a garage-showroom which was leased out for another £10,000 a year. He did not declare this income and the claims continued.

"There is some background as to how matters came to light. He was claiming disability allowance and there were some differences over how ill he actually was.

“The defendant was, at various times, a councillor and the local press took an interest in his activities and they reported the fact he was on various benefits while attending the gym at the David Lloyd Club.

"Photographs were sent to the DWP and when he was asked about it, he said he went to the gym because of his back."

Today he was wearing a surgical corset outside his shirt and trousers.