Nigel Hardman's tricks included fire-eating, sword-swallowing and bathing in broken glass - despite claiming incapacity benefits.

The 40-year-old illusionist even won a talent competition on television's Big Breakfast programme for escaping from a straitjacket while standing on a bed of nails.

Hardman called himself Prince Razaq and dressed like a Far East fakir in robes, turban and curly-toed sandals.

But his show-stopping antics did not fool fraud investigators who exposed him as a conman.

Hardman of Blenheim Drive, Warton and formerly of Padway in Penwortham, admitted 11 charges of cheating the benefits system between 2002 and 2006.

A court heard how Hardman began his daredevil career on stage and TV despite drawing incapacity benefit, council tax benefit and housing benefit from Blackpool Council and Fylde Council - because he was "too ill" to work.

But Hardman also worked as a double-glazing salesman, in the Royal Mail sorting office, as an accident insurance advisor, a meter reader and also owned a 31-foot stretched Lincoln limousine.

Warren Spencer, prosecuting, told Blackpool Magistrates: "Despite this he did death-defying feats such as sword-swallowing, lying on beds of nails and bathing in broken glass.

"He says he has no records of what he earned from these skills, but documents taken from his home revealed he applied for a mortgage stating that he was earning £10,000 a year.

"Following his exploits as Prince Razaq, he and his wife Nadine registered themselves as directors of a company at Companies House called Prince Razaq Limousines Ltd.

Lion taming

"When council officers and the police visited their home to question them there was a ledger saying their income from that venture was listed as £82,561."

Magistrates were told that overpayments in council tax and housing benefits was just under £8,000.

Hardman is also paying back £10,000 in incapacity benefits.

Digby Johnson, defending, said: "This has been a tale of woe for Mr Hardman. He was a civil servant for 10 years but his life was made a torment and he left to sell double glazing.

"He then worked for a company called Auto Indemnity but had to go off sick after having a crash himself.

"He then joined the Adventurers Club where people learn how to do things such as lion taming and mountain climbing.

"He found he had a natural bent for dangerous forms of entertainment and became quite adept at it and thus became Prince Razaq."

He added:" Despite all these wacky and harebrained schemes, his wife has stuck by him although it has affected her too. She said she was getting a £29,000 a year managerial job with InStore but in reality it was work as a till operator with Poundstretcher.

"Mr Hardman has built up debts of between £50,000 and £100,000 and faces bankruptcy."

Unemployed Hardman was sentenced by magistrates to six months tagging.
He must not leave his home from 7pm to 7am and was warned if he did the court would come down on him "like a ton of bricks".

Similar charges against Hardman's 41-year-old wife Nadine were dropped.

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