A judge has attacked the Department for Work and Pensions for failing to tackle benefits cheats and said he thinks they should be forced to pay back money sooner.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said long delays made it harder to send fraudsters to prison as prosecutions take several years to reach court.

The wait means offenders are able to dispose of money and assets which could be seized by the Government and used to make up for the fraudulent payments, he said.

Sentencing Bharaj Rawji, who claimed £24,000 in handouts despite having £16,000 in savings, the judge told Leicester Crown Court that the slow process was "bringing disrepute to the justice system".

He said Rawji was first interviewed in April 2015 and the case should have taken no more than six months to reach court.