BENEFITS cheats, flytippers and filthy food firms can today be named and shamed by the Echo.

Basildon Council has exclusively released details of successful prosecutions to show others they will be punished if they break the law.

Last month, the Echo published a gallery of six neighbours from hell thrown out by St Georges Community Housing Association for yob behaviour.

Today, council bosses vowed to continue to turn the screw on lawbreakers.

Council leader Malcolm Buckley said: "The message is clear. If you break the law in Basildon you will be punished."

He added resources were being focused on investigations and pursuing prosecutions, which has seen the number of court cases soar.

In six months between April and September this year, the council began 963 legal actions, compared with just 1,222 for the whole previous financial year.

These include:* 257 people kicked out of their home or taken to court for not paying rent, compared with 343 cases the previous year* 36 people evicted for antisocial behaviour and other reasons, compared with 28 previously* 30 benefit cheats facing court - only 15 were dealt with in the previous year* 100 residents facing bankruptcy action, compared with 168 last year.Mr Buckley said he hoped the number of legal actions would eventually tail off as offenders realised they would face the full force of the council.

He added: "We have already doubled the amount of housing benefit prosecutions by expanding our fraud investigation department."

Tony Ball, councillor in charge of community safety, said the crackdown would not see residents victimised.

He said: "We are only clamping down on persistent offenders."

BENEFIT CHEATS

LAST week the Echo revealed former council benefits adviser Carolyn Robinson was fined £2,000 and must pay £500 costs for claiming money, despite having £20,000 in the bank. Robinson, 38, of Great Mistley, Basildon, was the latest in a series of cheats prosecuted by the council. Others include: * Sharon Gustafson, 37, of Brook Drive, Wickford, pleaded guilty to two offen-ces of falsely claiming £2,570 in council tax and housing benefit. She was fined £1,200 and sentenced to 100 hours unpaid work. * Betty Gordon, 64, of Plumleys, Pitsea, claimed £3,400 in benefits despite inheriting £27,000. She ad-mitted four charges and was fined £1,000 and must pay £790 costs. * Joanne Miles, 28, of Delhi Road, Pitsea, falsely claimed £4,000 in housing and council tax benefit. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 hours unpaid work and must pay £60 costs. * Susan Price-Tupper, 32, of Malyons, Pitsea, pleaded guilty to swindling £289 in benefits. She was sentenced to a 12-month community punishment order and must pay £60 costs. * Sharon Hegarty, of Wy-thefield, Pitsea, stole £2,950 in benefits. Pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 60 hours of unpaid work and must pay £60 costs.

FLYTIPPERS

FLYTIPPERS have also been tracked down and named after their personal details were found in the rubbish they dumped. * Ersin Mustafa, of Ascot Grove, Basildon, was fined £200 with £150 costs at Basildon Magistrates' Court for refusing to pay two fixed penalty notices for flytipping rubbish sacks on two occasions. The council served the notices on him for leaving bin bags in the street on days when there were no collections, despite previous warnings. * Adebayo Giwa, of Swanstead, Vange, refused to pay a fixed penalty notice for the same offence and was fined £150 with £317 costs. * Nicola Richardson, of South Crockerford, Vange, also failed to pay a fixed penalty notice for dumping sacks on the street on the wrong day, and was fined £100 with £150 costs.

Food contamination

A WHOLESALER was ordered to pay £6,500 after admitting safety lapses which risked food contamination. Has Foods, based at Whitesbridge Farm, Crays Hill, faced 11 charges relating to having filthy food preparation areas, no hot water for washing hands or equipment, and rusting and crumbling fridges. Basildon Magistrates' Court heard the taps on the sink in the meat cutting room were covered in grease, and the meat was transported in open trollies - leaving it open to contamination from insects or dust from industrial units. Uncovered rubbish also could attract vermin. Manager Hasan Arkiner pleaded guilty to all charges and was fined £4,250, with £2,250 costs. Magistrates described his running of the firm as "reckless".