Dan Penteado admitted eight offences of claiming the allowances while failing to declare his BBC earnings
Penteado admitted eight counts of claiming housing and council tax benefits while failing to declare his BBC earnings (BBC) BBC

BBC Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado has pleaded guilty to committing £24,000 worth of benefits fraud.

Penteado, 40, admitted eight counts of claiming allowances while failing to declare his earnings from the BBC.

The Portuguese-born co-presenter investigates bogus tradesmen and service providers with Matt Allwright on the BBC consumer watchdog Rogue Traders and works as a private investigator on the side.

Prosecutor Kerry O'Neill said the offences date back to 2007 and that Penteado repeated the fraud every year up to 2011.

According to O'Neill, Penteado did not tell Bournemouth borough council that he had been paid more than £56,000 for his work on Rogue Traders between 2008 and 2011.

"He [Penteado] received £24,077.60 in housing and council tax benefit he was not entitled to," O'Neill told Bournemouth magistrates court.

"He failed to notify the borough council of the money coming in."

An arrest warrant was issued for the presenter after he failed to respond to letters from the council or to a court summons.

Johanne McNamara, prosecuting, told magistrates: "Mr Penteado was claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit on the basis that he was a full-time student with a family. He received benefit on that basis.

"Over a period of time his position has changed. He was actually employed on BBC's Rogue Traders programme as a motorbike rider.

"There are a number of offences. Some relate to failing to disclose a bank account which his wages were paid into, others relate to failing to notify a change in his circumstances when he was hired by the BBC."

Penteado, from Bournemouth, was warned he could face jail. He was granted bail until 17 July while a pre-sentence report is prepared.

He told The Mirror earlier that the case was "a misunderstanding that's causing a lot of grief for my family".

BBC bosses have barred Penteado from the new series of Rogue Traders until the issue is resolved.