THREE men who tried to cash counterfeit giro cheques at post offices across Swindon, which could have netted them hundreds of thousands of pounds, have been jailed.

Damien Lutula, 27, was sent to prison for two years, Angel Makizembe, 40, for 18 months and Richard Bibari, 24, for one year after appearing at Swindon Crown Court. All are from north London.

The gang were arrested outside Gorse Hill Post Office after being tracked across the town.

They earlier tried to cash the giros at Westcott Place, Cheney Manor and Ferndale Road Post Offices but succeeded only at Westcott Place, where they obtained £300.

They were eventually caught because a Post Office worker took down their car registration number in Bath where the men also tried to carry out the scam.

Police found nine cheques in the car and credit cards.

Ian Halliday, prosecuting, told the court the total value of the giros involved was £103,000.

Sentencing the men, Judge Tom Longbotham told them: "Producing counterfeit benefit giro cheques attacks public funds and attacks money that should be available for people who are genuinely entitled to benefit in one form or another."

Speaking after the case a spokesman for the Benefits Agency said: "This is an excellent example of how our investigators root out benefit cheats."