A man, who falsely claimed more than £28,000 in benefits while working as a psychic counsellor has been given a six month suspended jail term and told he might have to sell his home to pay the cash back.

Martin Emery, 47, was claiming income support but failed to tell the Department of Work and Pensions when he started working as a psychic counsellor, Norwich Crown Court heard.

David Wilson, prosecuting, said Emery's claim started out as genuine, but he failed to inform anyone when he started working as a psychic counsellor in December 2007. He said that Emery continued to claim benefits over a five year, nine month period until September 2013.

He said the total amount he fraudulently claimed was £28,286.

Emery, of Havelock Road, Great Yarmouth, admitted fraud and jailed for six months suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.

The court heard he no longer claimed any benefits and was paying back the cash at £120 a month and also had a house which might have to be sold.

Judge Stephen Holt told Emery: 'You took £28,000 from the public purse and as all know that has been under a huge amount of pressure.'

However he accepted Emery was paying the cash back and also had equity in his property: 'The public will probably get all their money back.'

Jonathan Goodman, for Emery, said his claim had started out as genuine but then he had started working as a psychic counsellor.

He said at first he was earning a pittance and he genuinely believed the work might only last a couple of weeks: 'As he became more proficient in that work, the work he continues to do to this day, money was arriving in his account. He knew he should have contacted the authorities. He put his head in the sand.'

He said as well as paying £120 a month, Emery also had a house, with a mortgage on it which he might lose, as a result of having to pay the cash back.

A confiscation hearing has been adjourned until June this year.