TWO TRIAL dates have been set in a large-scale Blackburn benefits fraud and theft investigation, involving seven members of the same family.

Ten of the 11 defendants appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court on Monday where they spoke only to confirm their identities.

They were Anisa Zarif, 24, Atif Zarif, 19, Faizal Zarif, 30, Khalida Zarif, 49, Mohammed Zarif, 59, all of Preston New Road, Blackburn; Fozia Zarif, 28,of Columbia Way, Blackburn; Sakib Zarif, 31, of Redlam, Blackburn; David Vincent Neale, 51, of Exeter Street, Blackburn; Anthony Preece, 46, of Shear Brow, Blackburn; Patrick William Leggat, 43, of Selborne Street, Blackburn; and Mohammed Sadiq, 45, of Hollin Bridge Street, Blackburn.

All 11 will be arraigned at the same court on December 9.

A provisional date for the first trial, which is expected to last six weeks, has been listed for March 23. That will involve Mohammed Zarif, who is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose to the DWP that his tenant, Daniel Walker, had died which he was under a legal duty to disclose intending to make a gain by continuing to receive benefits; Khalida, charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions, theft, failing to disclose and improvement in her health in order to continue receiving benefits; Sakib, who is charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions, theft, dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in his health resulting in the continued payment of Personal Independent Payment; Fozia, who is charged with dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in her health resulting in continued payment of disability living allowance and conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions; Leggat, who is charged with theft; Sadiq, who is charged with theft; and Neale, who is charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions and dishonestly failing to disclose he did not have the assistance of a driver or use of a mobility vehicle intending to make a gain, namely the continued payment of Personal Independent Payment.

Featuring in the second trial on June 1, which is anticipated to last three weeks, are Faisal, who is charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions and dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement in the health of Khalida Zarif and Fozia Zarif intending by that failure to continue receiving carers allowance; Atif and Anisa, who are both charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions and dishonestly failing to disclose there had been an improvement in the health of Sakib Zarif intending to make a gain, namely the continued payment of carers allowance; and Preece, who is charged with conspiracy to defraud the Department of Work and Pensions and dishonestly failing to disclose an improvement to his health with the intention of continuing to receive Disability Living Allowance.

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All the defendants had their bail renewed by Judge Beverley Lunt, who will be the trial judge.