A SENIOR policeman raked in hundreds of pounds in travel expenses by fiddling claims for bogus journeys, a court heard.

DC Dennis Weeks, of Gordon Road, Wanstead, allegedly claimed for journeys he had never made or clawed back car mileage payments for trips he did by train.

But the 45-year-old detective was caught by mobile phone records showing him “carefully hugging the route of the train” when he had claimed to have travelled by car, jurors heard.

As deputy secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, Mr Weeks was entitled to claim 45p per mile for car journeys or for train tickets up to 70 miles outside London, Southwark Crown Court heard last week (May 1).

Prosecuting, James Dawes said: “On nine occasions between February and September 2014, Mr Weeks either claimed for travel which he never made at all, or he claimed the travel by road when he went by train.

“He received more money for the claim for travelling by car than he would have done for claiming the cost of the ticket.”

The Redbridge-based detective resigned from his role within the Met Police union in January 2015.

He admits making the claims, but denies they were dishonest.

Mr Dawes added: “In 2014 Mr Weeks used to go on various trips on federation business and he could claim the cost of his travel back from them.

“It was only after an investigation that these discrepancies were uncovered.

“That is what this case is about.

“If you conclude at the end of this case that Mr Weeks knowingly put in claims for mileages when he took the train or did not make the journey at all then you may consider that to be evidence of dishonesty."

Jurors heard the first expenses claim was for £205.20 for travelling 456 miles between London and Manchester on February 26 2014.

But jurors heard extracts from email exchanges allegedly detailing the purchase of train tickets for the same journey costing another officer £160.

The following month, on March 19, he submitted a claim for £60.75 for a 135-mile car journey from London to Canterbury, Kent.

But Mr Dawes guided jurors through a map of London, pointing out various areas on it where Mr Weeks's phone was recorded as being used during the same afternoon in Bromley, south London.

He said: “So it seems from this data that Mr Weeks did not travel to Canterbury on March 19 and was not entitled to claim £60.75 to drive there.”

Similarly, telephone data allegedly contradicted a claim by Mr Weeks for £61.20 for another 136-mile trip to Canterbury when he was actually in London.

He nine counts of fraud by false representation.

The trial continues.