Some of the grid references for his so-called farming activities in Devon were infact in the middle of the North Sea or in Iceland

Edward Leigh Tory MP

A report by the National Audit Office published last month revealed that the government has only recovered �1,325 of the cash given to Bowden.

'Wonderful wheeze'

The farmer, from Heanton, was jailed for two-and-a-half years in October 2000 after he admitted deception charges and false accounting relating to a total claim of �131,000.

Edward Leigh, Tory chairman of the Commons public accounts select committee probing the Bowden case, said: "Well he had a wonderful wheeze.

"He was claiming on the same land for arable area payments and for the fibre flack subsidy."

Mr Leigh says he hopes lessons have been learned.

The Gainsborough MP told BBC Radio 4's Farming Today: "What is most amusing or terrible about this case is he was putting wrong grid references and because nobody decided to check them, some of the grid references for his so-called farming activities in Devon were infact in the middle of the North Sea or in Iceland.

"It was pretty extraordinary that nobody picked it up before.

"Apparently he was only caught because of a tip off and I think on one of the frauds he was only caught because an official just happened to move from one department to another and realised he had been claiming for the same things.

"There was no cross-checking so it was easy to commit a fraud like this."

Embarrassed

Mr Leigh said the purpose of bringing a permanent secretary to the meeting was to "really give them a pretty hard time" and to make sure that they "got their act together".

The Gainsborough MP said he believed it would be "pretty difficult, impossible probably" for fraud like Bowden's to happen again.

But he added: "Unfortunately people are infinitely clever in thinking up new frauds and therefore we have to always run ahead of the game.

"I think the department is very embarrassed by this case and I hope now they have learned some lessons."