Building A House Abroad On UK Benefits

Several newspapers today are running the story of a Roma gypsy who is using £60,000 of British handouts to build a mansion in his own country.

Scrap metal dealer Ion Lazar plans to pay for the property with child benefit and tax credits.

Mr Lazar, 36, pays tradesman in cash to build the property for his wife and three children.

He is able to claim the money because he works part-time as a scrap metal collector in London.

His wage is so low he pays no tax but claims his children are a passport to £1,700 a month in welfare.

In a channel 5 documentary to be shown this week he says: “I am very happy because in England I make this money. What can you say, thank you England, she has helped me, I have everything now”

In Benefits Britain: Life On The Dole, he laughs and flicks bundles of cash withdrawn from a bank machine in Romania using an English bank card.

Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe said: ” This is further proof of the national scandal of abuse of our benefits system caused by our open-door migration policy with the EU.

One mother in the documentary has opened a restaurant in Warsaw with the £220 a month her husband sends home each month.

She says: “In my opinion it is absolutely normal to receive benefits from the UK.  No-one has come from the welfare system to check on us.”

The Department of Work and Pensions said it led the way to toughen up the rules on access to UK benefits.

EU Camp Plan Fury

Taxpayers will fork out for a French “holiday camp” for migrants desperate to get to the Uk.

The EU will pay the £3million after the French demanded a grant for the work.

It has sparked fury on both sides of the channel.

Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: “This will definitely attract more migrants to Calais.”