A New York man is facing jail after dressing up as his dead mother and claiming benefits over a six-year period.

Thomas Prusik-Parkin has been charged with impersonating his dead mother, Irene Prusik - who passed away aged 73 in 2003 - so he could steal £70,800 in government benefits.

The 49-year-old donned a wig, wore heavy makeup and dresses to defraud the state of social security benefits and rent subsidies.

At the time of her death he allegedly gave the funeral director a fake social security number and date of birth to begin his years of deceit.

He was accompanied on his visits to banks and benefit offices with his accomplice, 47-year-old Mhilton Rimolo, who posed as Mrs Prusik's nephew.

But his scheme was foiled after a tip-off from the owner of the Brooklyn apartment building where he lived.

Last month, investigators turned up at the building to interview Mrs Prusik and found an elderly woman wearing a red cardigan, a scarf, lipstick and nail varnish. She was breathing through an oxygen tank but they noticed her "rather large hands".

But authorities were already aware that Mrs Prusik had died as they had been given a photograph of her gravestone in a local cemetery.

Prusik is alleged to have told police officers at the time of his arrest: "I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother."

Brooklyn's district attorney Charle Hynes said: "He said he's not Norman Bates. This guy is not stupid, this guy is very smart. His schemes were brilliant."

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