A COUNCILLOR was seen working on a rooftop while he was claiming incapacity benefit, a court was told.

Paul Edmondson was working for another councillor, Paul Browne, who has an aerial erection business in Darwen.

Edmondson, 49, of Hollin Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates to four charges of making a false statement to obtain benefit and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 costs.

Edmondson, who represents Queens Park ward on Blackburn with Darwen Council, is now claiming job seekers' allowance.

Miss Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, said the four charges represented an overpayment of £790 though this was only a specimen amount. She said the total overpayment would be recovered by the DSS from Edmondson's benefits.

Miss Kenny said the offences were in breach of a conditional discharge, imposed by Blackburn Magistrates in November 1996, for carrying a blade in public. Miss Kenny said Edmondson had received incapacity benefit since March 1996 as he said he was suffering from spondylitis which caused pain in the neck, back and shoulders. However, he was seen repairing aerials on a roof and putting up and climbing ladders.

Mr Julian Peers, defending, said Coun Edmondson was not paid for the work.

He said Edmondson's situation stemmed from problems he had when living in Ermine Close in Blackburn. He was charged with a criminal offence following provocation by youths on the estate, who on one occasion assaulted him.

"This, coupled with the breakdown of a marriage and the loss of a job, led to ill health and over an 18-month period he felt suicidal," said Mr Peers.

"He began doing work with Mr Browne to get him out of the house and take his mind off things."

After the hearing, Coun Edmondson said: "I was purely spending time with a friend to get me off the estate.

"As for the knife incident, I was standing on my doorstep with my father's knife just after he had died. I had not been on the streets looking to hurt somebody."

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