A TELEVISION extra who claimed more than £70,000 in disability allowance has been jailed after being caught "skipping" in a TV show appearance.

John Lewis, of Aberaeron Close, Barry, who has also appeared as an extra on top BBC shows such as Sherlock and Casualty, claimed £54,597 in disability allowance between November 2006 to May 2015 and £12,991 in income support between February 2007 and November 2012. From September 2014 to May 2015 he claimed £4,408 in pension credit.

At Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (July 28) the 65-year-old actor admitted dishonesty for taking the money.

The court heard that Lewis had undergone two knee replacements and is currently waiting for a hip replacement.

Prosecutor Eugene Egan said: “He claimed he was not fit to work but he worked as an extra in various productions including Sherlock, Torchwood and Casualty.

"He was also in a show made for Sky TV called The Cafe, directed by Craig Cash and written by Ralf Little.

“He featured in episodes three and six. There was footage of him shown walking or skipping across the road.

“He said in interview he had behaved like an idiot.”

John Ryan, defending, said that there was no evidence that the money he made as a extra had given him "a lavish lifestyle".

“There have been times when he is immobile and other times when his mobility is increased" he added.

Mr Ryan also told the court that Lewis began working “to get out of the house” and felt that he was “doing something of value.”

He said: “He has a low risk of reoffending. His principal concern is how his wife will cope without him and the effect it will have on his grandson.”

Judge Jonathan Furness ruled that the case was serious.

He said: “Over eight-and-a-half-years in respect of disability living allowance, and lesser periods in respect of income support and pension credit, you received a total of just under £72,000, which you should not have had or not have had all of it.”

A spokesman for the Department of Works and Pensions added: “Only a small minority of benefit claimants try to cheat the system, but cases like this show how we are rooting out fraudsters who are stealing money from taxpayers and diverting resources away from those who really need it.”

Lewis has been jailed for 20 weeks.