Former Rochdale café owner sentenced for covid fraud

Jake Gorton,41, of Raneley Grove, Kirkholt, claimed a £10,000 small business grant almost as soon as they became available as the covid crisis started to unfold in April 2020.

The fraudster cooked up a scheme by claiming he was running a café called The Little Diner, in New Road, Littleborough, to get his hands on the money which was meant to keep businesses afloat during the covid lockdowns. The council’s fraud team began to investigate after receiving a tip off which revealed he had vacated the premises in October 2019.

As part of their investigation, the team set up interviews with Gorton 3 times, but he failed to attend.

His actions ultimately landed him in court on 30 March 2026, where he was ordered to pay the £10,000 back, alongside £1,500 in court costs and a £90 victim surcharge. He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid community service within the next 12 months.

Samantha Smith, director of corporate services, said:

“These grants were designed to ensure that hard working business owners could get through a time of national crisis without losing their livelihoods. Unfortunately, Jake Gorton chose to exploit this emergency situation for his own benefit and took money from the public purse that he was fully aware he was not entitled to. We won’t hesitate to take action against people who are dishonestly claiming money from the public purse.”