He claimed he could barely walk without suffering crippling discomfort due to a rare spinal condition.

So what was Jake Preston doing in a motocross competition?

Preston, 20, told the Department of Work and Pensions that he had trouble with stairs, could not walk without stopping to rest, and needed constant care.

As a result, he received a disability living allowance worth a total of £15,128 between September 2007 and March last year.

But investigators acting on a tip- off secretly filmed him in the British Masters Motocross Championships in Whitby – and saw him win a race.

Their footage captured him walking unaided, climbing steps without apparent difficulty and jumping into the air on his motorbike.

Yesterday the benefits cheat escaped a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to notify the DWP of a change in his circumstances. Magistrates in Bolton heard Preston, of nearby Farnworth, suffers from syringomyelia – a debilitating condition that affects the spine.

Joe O’Conner, defending, said: ‘Mr Preston has a diagnosed and recognised illness. It is a rare condition. This is not a person who invents illnesses. He was a very ill young child and it carried on through adolescence. He accepts that he should have gone further in terms of relaying to the DWP how his condition changed.’

Carlton Johnson, chairman of the bench, sentenced Preston to a community order for 12 months, including 250 hours of unpaid work. He must repay the money, as well as £150 in court costs.

As Preston’s hearing took place his mother Julie, 43, was appearing at the town’s crown court. She is charged with failing to notify the DWP of a change in circumstances relating to her son’s claims from the ages of 11 to 16, before he made his own claim as an adult.

The case was adjourned until next Friday. No plea was entered.

From Algys Autos

A motorcyclist is facing prosecution after being caught speeding – while sliding along the ground without his motorbike.

This incredible image released by police in Switzerland shows the 38-year-old man careering helplessly towards the side of the road at around 66mph.

Traffic police believe he would have been going a great deal faster when he first saw the camera

The incident happened between the towns of Cibourg and La Chaux-de-fonds, close to Bern and the French border, on October 2.

A police spokesman said: ‘It appears that he suddenly saw the traffic control measure ahead and lost control as he tried to slow down.

Police say the motorcyclist, who was wearing protective leathers, was unhurt apart from minor cuts and bruises, as well as a degree of shock.

He confirmed that the man was still facing a fine and the withdrawal of his driving licence for up to three months.

The officer said some 18 motorists had been caught speeding on the same stretch of mountain road on the same Sunday morning