A MAN who banked more than £60,000 in benefits claiming he was "too weak to lift a kettle" was jailed yesterday after he was caught surfing and working as a lifeguard.

Joe Olroy, 44, said he was unable to work because he suffered chronic back and wrist pain which made it "impossible to move" without a wheelchair.

He told officials he walked with a cane, was unable to wash himself, suffered from arthritis, digestive illness Crohn's disease and the inflammatory bowel condition colitis.

Olroy, of Longstone Road, Paignton, Devon, said he needed help from his carers to shower, bathe and dress and could hardly walk, was unable to use a remote control and could not lift anything heavy – even a plate of food.

But in reality, Olroy was working as a paid lifeguard and was even hailed a "hero" after rescuing four 12-year-old children who were dragged out to sea.

He took surfing holidays across the world, including Australia, Bali, Hawaii and America and was caught up in the Tsunami while enjoying a surfing holiday in Sri Lanka in 2004.

Olroy posted dozens of images of himself on the Internet surfing big waves and enjoying foreign holidays on sun-kissed beaches.

He claimed more than £63,000 in disability allowance, incapacity benefit, income support, housing benefit and council tax relief.

He initially denied his actions but was eventually caught when Department of Work and Pensions investigators confronted him on a beach – where he was wearing a lifeguard T-shirt.

Olroy was jailed for 30 months after he pleaded guilty to nine benefit offences and asked for a further nine to be taken into consideration.

Speaking after the hearing, a spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) said that Olroy stole to fund "the dream surf lifestyle".

"Olroy was claiming vast amounts of public money but at the same time, he was living the surfing dream. He was obviously having a great time at the taxpayers' expense but it was pure theft.

"Our investigations revealed he was surfing, travelling abroad for surfing holidays and was even caught up in the Tsunami while on a surfing trip.

"All this took place when he was telling us he was in so much pain, he couldn't lift a kettle and found it impossible to move."

The offences took place between May 2001 and September 2006 when Olroy was working as a paid member of he RNLI lifeguard team in Torbay.

In September 2005, he was hailed a hero after rescuing four 12-year-old children who were dragged out to sea at Sedgewell Cove in Bantham, Devon.

Olroy, an RNLI beach lifeguard supervisor, dashed into the water and made two trips into 3ft waves, grabbing two of the children each time.

But Exeter Crown Court was told that Olroy used a false identity, Joe Olroy Owen, by telling his local jobcentre he had lost all his documents in the Tsunami disaster.

He was eventually caught after investigators found him on Teignmouth beach in swimming trunks and a regulation lifeguard T-shirt.

They later identified his distinctive tattoos in photographs of him abroad.

The DWP spokesman said: "He had made the claim on the basis he had chronic back and wrist pain, arthritis, Crohn's disease and colitis.

"We had a tip-off about his activities and called him in for interview twice but he kept denying it was him.

"We had seen several photographs of him surfing and could recognise him by his distinctive tattoos.

"He claimed that another man who had gone to Australia had stolen his identity and was using it to travel and set up accounts in his name.

"But we went to the beach and saw him surfing and wearing a lifeguard T-shirt. He then made a full confession."

Olroy pleaded guilty to eight offences of obtaining money transfers by deception and one of making false representations to obtain benefit.

The total sum came to £63,469.59 – £39,000 disability allowances, £12,435 income support and £12,034.59 in housing benefit and council tax relief.

Ayse Vahib, prosecuting, said Olroy claimed a range of benefits including disability and mobility payments and income support while he was working.

Judge David Tyzack QC told him: "This was a massive fraud on the taxpayer and the public would be outraged if you were to walk away from court.

"You established a wholly fraudulent lifestyle and amassed for yourself some £60,000 over a five-year period. When you were interviewed, you created a false identity until you were caught red-handed on Teignmouth beach.

"You knew perfectly well you were not entitled to these benefits, yet you persisted in your claims.

"I accept that some of the work as a lifeguard is sedentary but you had to be fit and able to assist and rescue people."

Nigel Wraith, defending, said that Olroy accepted that he knew he was making false claims when he was working.

He had lost his girlfriend in the Tsunami and had made a significant donation to the Tsunami appeal from the money he had obtained.

The court was told he had paid back some £3,000 since being caught as a benefit cheat.