The mystery over a Kingswear pub landlord at the centre of a benefits cheat investigation has deepened after staff at the Royal Dart claimed he no longer works there.

Stephen Sussams was alleged by the BBC's current affairs progamme Panorama to be leading a double life – claiming benefits in Croydon and driving a Bentley while running the Royal Dart.

When the Chronicle contacted the Royal Dart last week, staff claimed Mr Sussams was in London.

This week a staff member, who did not wish to be named, said: 'He is nothing to do with the company. People have been telephoning here asking for him. He is not here. I can't say when he left.'

Mr Sussams was one of several people who 'starred' in the programme, entitled Britain on the Fiddle, which set out to expose benefit cheats.

Croydon Council has confirmed it is investigating Mr Sussams over housing and council tax benefit claims he had allegedly made on a council flat in the borough.

The council added Mr Sussams was also being looked at by the Department for Work and Pensions and investigated over allegations he was claiming a carer's allowance when the person he was supposed to be caring for had died.

A council spokesman said its investigation had been going on since May last year and until this week it had been unable to interview Mr Sussams.

Ahead of last Thursday night's broadcast, the Panorama website claimed: 'Mr Sussams, 58, had his incapacity benefit stopped two years ago, but did not tell the council, which continued to cover most of the rent and council tax on his council flat as a result.

'Investigators found that Mr Sussams appears to be leading a double life – one in a council flat in London and the other as a pub landlord in the village of Kingswear in Devon.

'When Panorama found him he was driving a Bentley and told an undercover reporter that he had been living in the village for two and a half years.

'When asked by the BBC about his council flat and benefit claim, Mr Sussams said he could not discuss it because of Croydon Council's ongoing investigation. "I have no intention of being involved with trial by television," he added.

'Mr Sussams is still the subject of a council investigation and his housing benefit was recently suspended.'

The BBC Panorama exposé has shocked villagers.

Jason Byrne, at the post office, said: 'No one knew anything about it until they saw the programme.'

He added: 'I was very surprised when I saw it on TV.'