TEN people have been convicted of forgery after fraudulently claiming taxpayer cash at a company running a Government employment scheme.

Jurors spent 55 hours deliberating before finding four A4e staff guilty after a 13-week trial at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday.

Another six staff of the social purpose company had already pleaded guilty to their part in the fraud. They worked across three South East centres, including one in Slough, to deliver the Government’s flagship 'Inspire to Aspire’ employment training scheme.

Police said staff had created files for people who did not exist or made claims for people who had not yet found work to claim bonuses or hit targets.

However, a whistleblower sparked an investigation by the Department for Works and Pensions and police - leading to the charges.

Det Insp Gavin Tyrrell from Thames Valley Police’s Economic Crime Unit said it was a 'highly complex’ investigation.

He added: “Together, these 10 people acted dishonestly to abuse a scheme which was designed to help those who had been out of work for long periods and were trying to find jobs in what was a very difficult employment climate. Financial rewards had been introduced in order to help that process and these defendants took advantage of that for their own personal gain.

“The money they fraudulently claimed came from the taxpayer and just over £1.3m was paid to A4e between 2008 and 2010 for their implementation of this contract.

“I want to thank the jury who have deliberated for over 55 hours for their patience in carefully listening to all the facts, in what has been a complicated and difficult case.” Sentencing was adjourned until March 30.

Three people, Yasmin Ahmad, Sarah Hawkins and Serge Wyett, were acquitted of all counts.

Andrew Dutton, A4e Group CEO, said: “A4e has a zero tolerance policy towards fraud and takes all allegations extremely seriously.

"As soon as A4e’s internal systems brought this incident to light in November 2010, we alerted the Department for Work and Pensions and carried out an investigation. We also co-operated fully with the police investigation which today’s verdicts bring to a conclusion.

"All the charges related to a single contract which is no longer in existence, having ended in July 2011. This was the ‘Inspire to Aspire’ ESF Lone Parent Mentoring contract in the Thames Valley.

"We are obviously very disappointed and sorry that a number of people who worked on this contract behaved so dishonestly, and in doing so let down the customers we expected them to help. None of the people who were convicted remain in our organisation."

A4e long ago set aside the money to pay back the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) the amount it received as a result of the unsubstantiated claims on the contract. As a result, the taxpayer will have lost nothing from the conduct of the people involved.

The improvements we’ve made to our systems and controls now make it highly unlikely that this kind of incident could happen again.

Comprehensive audits by the DWP and Skills Funding Agency have found no evidence of fraud in contracts they currently hold with us and A4e continues to provide effective public services to tens of thousands of people.” The defendants were: Ines Cano-Uribe, 38, of Madrid, Spain, found guilty of two counts of forgery Zabar Khalil, 35, of Dolphin Road, Slough, found guilty of one count of forgery Matthew Hannigan-Train, 30, of Westacre Close, Bristol, found guilty of one count of forgery Hayley Wilson, 27, of Tunmill Avenue, Springfield, Milton Keynes, found guilty of one count of forgery Dean Lloyd, 38, of Rochfords, Coffee Hall, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of forgery Julie Grimes, 52, of Monks Way, Laleham, Surrey, pleaded guilty to nine counts of forgery Aditi Singh, 31, of Elmshott Lane, Slough, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and forgery Bindiya Dholiwar, 28, of Reddington Drive, Slough, pleaded guilty to seven counts of forgery Nikki Foster, 31, of High Tree Drive, Earley, Wokingham, pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud and one conspiracy Charles McDonald, 44, of Derwent Road, Egham, Surrey, pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud and one conspiracy.