A GANG member involved in cashing stolen Giro cheques throughout the UK has been handed a two-year jail sentence at Bolton Crown Court.

Randolph Lee, aged 35, from Tottenham, London, had previously been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud by a unanimous jury verdict, after a four-day trial.

Three members of the London-based gang, who were arrested in Bury as they attempted to cash stolen Giro cheques in December 2002, have already received prison terms totalling nine-and-a-half years. The organised fraud was said to involve an estimated £200,000.

The arrests followed detailed surveillance and enquiries carried out by a specialist team of investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), into allegations that stolen Giro cheques were being cashed, supported by stolen bank and credit cards.

The court heard that Lee, at that time a Royal Mail employee, was arrested on September 2003 in connection with the fraud following forensic evidence pointing to his involvement.

When he was searched, 11 DWP items believed to have been stolen from sorting offices, including order books, Giro cheques and letters and a bank card were recovered.

Anyone with information about benefit fraud can call the hotline 0800 854 440.