More than £1.3 million in salary payments has been recovered over the past decade after the government identified hundreds of cases of public sector staff working multiple jobs.

A trial recently conducted by the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) highlighted several instances of so-called "polygamous working" across London.

The initiative uncovered around £400,000 in wage overpayments and generated an estimated £489,000 in total savings, alongside 22 dismissals or resignations.

The disclosures come as civil servant Kashim Chowdhury was convicted of nine counts of fraud, having exploited remote working and sick notes to juggle up to five full-time government roles at the same time.

A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions said that in the last decade the NFI has “identified 301 cases of public sector employees with undisclosed multiple employment arrangements and recovered £1.35 million in salary payments back to the public purse”.

“The NFI continues to act as a key tool in protecting the…