BALDING bodypopper Fred Bowers was being probed for benefit fraud last night — as it emerged the Britain’s Got Talent sensation is coining it in disability handouts.

The breakdancing pensioner, 73, gets £70-a-week on top of his state pension — AND a free car — after persuading officials he has a gammy left leg.

But there was no sign of his “handicap” as he amazed millions of ITV1 viewers with his spins, flips and acrobatic rolls on Saturday night’s show.

The granded was voted through to the semi-finals of the talent contest after Simon Cowell and his fellow judges joined the studio audience in saluting him with a standing ovation.

Beaming Cowell gave him a huge thumbs up, declaring: “This is why I love doing this show — because of people like you, Fred.”

He hailed the retired factory worker’s athletics as “absolutely brilliant.”

Fellow judge Piers Morgan told Bowers: “Diggin it, bro!”

And Amanda Holden described the pensioner’s performance — as he staked his claim to the £100,000 top prize and a spot on the Royal Variety Show — as “fantastic”.

She raved: “This show is about spirit and variety and energy and soul and you’ve got plenty of it.”

Last night a stunned neighbour of Bowers said in Sutton Bonington, Notts: “It’s common knowledge round here that Fred’s on disability benefits — he’s never made a secret of it.

“I’ve no idea how he expected to get away with carrying on claiming while pulling off such amazing dance moves in front of millions of TV viewers.

Boasting

When The Sun last night contacted the Department of Work and Pensions, officials said they were ALREADY on the case.

Benefits staff are understood to have reported Bowers to their superiors after his high-energy routine on the hit show.

Investigators fear he may have made fraudulent claims dating back years. Cheats face fines and jail terms if convicted — and are required to pay back fiddled cash. A spokesman said: “Although the Department of Work and Pensions does not comment on individual cases we do investigate and take seriously all accusations of fraudulent benefit claims.”

Bowers crowed to Britain’s Got Talent presenters Ant and Dec that he breakdances in nightclubs SEVEN days a week.

He added: “I would love to perform in front of Her Majesty the Queen. I’d like to show her what a 73-year-old man can do.

His neighbour said: “Fred has been boasting how Simon, Piers and Amanda all gave him the thumbs up and put him through to the semi final.

“He made a particularly big deal about how much Simon loved him on the show. But I’ll bet Simon will be less impressed when he realises his star turn is on the fiddle.” Bowers is on the highest level of the pensioners’ form of Disability Living Allowance — called Attendance Allowance — after complaining of pains in his left leg for years.

It nets him an extra £70.35 a week from the state. The lower rate — for less serious conditions — is £47.10. To claim, the Government says a disability must be “severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself.”

Bowers’ free car is a gleaming silver Ford Focus — paid for by his £49.10-a-week Motability allowance.

He also convinced Motability officials he deserved the highest level of entitlement, sources said. With his pension and income support adding £100, Bowers pockets a total of £219 a week from the state. Last night Bowers — sporting a cut on his head from his breakdancing — insisted he normally walks with a stick. Speaking outside his semi detached bungalow, he said: “My left leg is out of order but it doesn’t stop me dancing.

“I mostly stand still during the dancing and I don’t chase around the stage.

Jealous

“It’s mostly my back, neck and head that I move so I don’t see what the problem is because it is my leg that’s bad.

“I’m not earning a penny through my dancing yet so I don’t see the problem until I start earning.

“I’m likely to make a lot of money through my dancing and when I do I’ll get in touch with Motability and the payments will stop. Somebody is jealous, that’s all — and I suppose I’m going to get a few more critics. But surely I’m allowed to dance. People on Motability play sport and football and everything.

“My leg has not interfered with my dancing but I can’t walk very far without using a stick.” On his Facebook internet profile Bowers poses proudly in front of a Britain’s Got Talent Union Jack poster.

He even has his own fan club on the site with nearly 1,000 members.

He said: “I’ve been breakdancing for about five years.

“It all started when I fell down, and when I got back up I found myself spinning on one knee.

“I started watching dancers on telly and I picked it up from there.

“I go to the nightclubs in Loughborough to dance and that’s where someone spotted me and said I should go on Britain’s Got Talent.”


The Sun