A crackdown by NAC's corporate fraud squad secured £132,000 for the local authority.

The council recovered the sum between April 2018 and the end of March, over council tax claims, Blue Badge misuse and tenants abandoning their council houses.

As reported in the Times last year, several workers were suspended and later sacked after materials were nicked from Bartonholm recycling centre.

Four of the dismissed staff have since been convicted at court. 

The team received 23 complaints about Blue Badge fraud and four cases were reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Five badges were seized and a number of warning letters sent out.

The team have also carried out a number of house of multiple occupancy investigations.

Empty homes registered for council tax relief have also been unearthed – leading to the recovery of £8,000. 

The corporate fraud annual report was presented to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee last week.

The report put before councillors said: “The Corporate Fraud Team provides the council with the capacity to investigate fraud both within and against the organisation.”

The council’s fraud squad received 356 reports of fraud during the financial year 2018 to 2019.

Sixty nine cases were referrred on to Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency, other council services and elsewhere.

The report said publicising the team “continues to be successful in generating a constant stream of referrals.”