A 46-YEAR-OLD Wordsley man who fiddled over £29,000 in benefits has been hit with a bill for £27,273 - and warned he will be put behind bars if he fails to come up with the cash in six months.

Wayne Cooper, of Chapel Street, was given a community order after he admitted benefit fraud and that he had benefited from his criminality by £29,473.

But he had repaid £2,200 leaving an outstanding balance of £27,273 Richard Davenport, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He told a Proceeds of Crime Hearing it had been agreed that Cooper had a large financial interest in his home and steps were being taken to remortgage the property.

That would provide him with the money he needed to clear the demand but Recorder Derek Chinnery told him he would be at risk of going into prison unless he managed to resolve the issue.

The Recorder ordered self-employed Cooper to pay back in full the £27,273 and said he could jailed for up to 18 months in default.