Benefits 'Vulture' family from Essex

A father and his daughter raked in more than £250,000 in benefits by claiming for non-existent handicapped kids, a court was told.

Keith Taylor, 56, gave photographers the V-sign as he turned up for a hearing with his 33-yearold daughter Donna Connolly. The pair are also alleged to have hijacked the identities of other people, some dead, to make false claims at taxpayers' expense.

Prosecutor Sir Derek Spencer QC alleged they had carried out "wholesale abuse" of the benefits system along with three other defendants who plundered more than £71,000 between them. He said the defendants "invented" disabled children and "hijacked" the IDs of people to make claims.

He added: "This is not a case about errors and mistakes or miscalculation of benefit. It is about wholesale dishonesty resulting in taxpayers' money being paid out in large sums." Connolly was said to be the leader of the alleged scam.

Police raided her home in Southend, Essex, in December 2004 and seized paperwork, Basildon Crown Court heard. She was arrested along with her father and Julie Turner, 43, Beverley Thaws, 46, and Patricia Brown, 67.

Brown, who is said to drive a car with a personalised number plate, is alleged to have creamed off more than £40,000.

Thaws is said to have pocketed £15,374 and Turner £16,020.

The alleged plot is said to involve Child Tax and Working Tax credits - supposed to help Britain's poorest families and workers on low incomes.

Sir Derek said the alleged fake claims had similarities which led back to Connolly. He said: "The fact they all allegedly claimed to be working 16 hours a week is one of many common threads that feature in these claims. It cannot be a coincidence. This suggests there was someone behind all these claims. That person was Donna Connolly."

Connolly denies 13 charges of benefit fraud and two of money laundering. Taylor, Thaws and Turner all deny charges of benefit fraud and money laundering. Brown denies benefit fraud.

All live in Southend except Turner who comes from nearby Westcliff. The trial is set to end at Christmas.

(PIC: Matt Sprake & Alex Broadway/NEWSPICS)