Uenemployed Gerald Cook bagged himself a 1,000 loan by telling bank staff he worked for Social Security, writes Mark Templeton.

Gerald, 64, listed the Government department as his employer on a loan application because it had been paying him dole money for the past ten years.

Now he's off to Spain for a three-week holiday courtesy of Barclays Bank.

Gerald, of Cripley Road, west Oxford, said: "They've been paying me for ten years so I thought why not say I work for them? "Barclays is forever sending me junk mail about loans and I always apply, but never get anywhere. This time I was filling in the section asking for the name of my employer and I thought, why not give it a go?

"I don't believe I've conned them, I just bent the truth a little bit. I'm certainly going to enjoy my holiday in Malaga." Gerald had to give up work as a butler in St John's College after an accident in 1990. He claims 600 a month in mobility and income support payments. He had previously been turned down a dozen times for loans by his Barclays branch in Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

Barclays said it was happy with the loan application and wouldn't be asking for the money back.

A spokesman said: "Mr Cook passed all the normal credit checks and we were happy with his bank account. "I can see how putting down Social Security as his employer may be misleading, but he receives a regular income from them. In this instance we were more than happy with his credit standing.

"We know Mr Cook will be able to meet the repayments."

Nat West and HSBC banks said they did not discriminate against people receiving social security payments.

Each applicant was credit-checked and loans were given depending on income and ability to meet repayments.