The investigation discovered that Paskin was a registered referee with Gwent County Football Association in South Wales.

Paskin, of Newport, yesterday admitted falsely claiming £17,375 disability living allowance between May 2003 and June 2007.

Caerphilly magistrates remanded him on bail until next month for sentencing at Newport Crown court.

Fraud investigator Kevin McGrath said after the hearing: “He told us he couldn’t walk further than 100 yards or for longer than 10 minutes without severe discomfort and extreme tiredness. Someone with that sort of disability would not have been able to referee a football match.”

Gwent County Football Association yesterday confirmed that Paskin had not registered as a referee for the coming season.

Paskin, who is married, is the third person in Wales to be netted in a Department for Work and Pensions inquiry targeting football referees.

Mr McGrath said: “We were given lists of certified referees and checked them against complaints we were investigating.”

“We are hoping this will serve as a warning to others.”

Earlier this year former Pembroke town mayor Keith McNiffe, 49, was given a four-month suspended sentence after saying he was too ill to work, despite refereeing 67 matches and passing an FA fitness test.

And Christopher Stockwell, 53, of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, was ordered to do 150 hours’ community service after being filmed refereeing a football match, even though he claimed he needed crutches to walk.