Family of nine Bulgarian gypsies who targeted UK to scrounge benefits are housed in just three weeks — at the taxpayers' expense.

By Ryan Parry, Dan Sales, and Jack Royston

From The Sun

A family of Bulgarian gypsies who came to Britain to scrounge benefits have been given a house — less than three weeks after arriving in the country.

Rusi Georgiev, 41, partner Mariana Sabeva, 34, and their seven kids headed to the UK when work ran out at home.

They set up a makeshift camp outside historic Westminster Cathedral in Central London — as Rusi told pals he was here to take advantage of the soft welfare system.

The family have now been handed a home after lodging a claim for asylum with the Home Office.

The gypsies arrived legally by coach with European passports. They were in council emergency accommodation before camping outside the Catholic cathedral.

The Sun found them living in squalid conditions, littered with dirty nappies. They slept on the ground outside the cathedral doors.

A fellow Bulgarian said: "They heard about the benefits here and have come to claim them.

"They've been offered tickets back to Bulgaria by the authorities but they want to stay.

"In Bulgaria they can't get these benefits. More and more people are going to do this."

Westminster Council eventually took the family off the streets because of "safeguarding concerns around the children".

They are now living in a house at taxpayers' expense while the Home Office processes their asylum claim.

Tory MP Nicholas Soames called it "unacceptable".

Matthew Sinclair, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: "Ministers must ensure Britain isn't an easy target for benefit tourism.

"Asylum is not meant for anyone who fancies an easy life at taxpayers' expense."