A benefits fraudster has been ordered to pay back nearly £2,500 after turning down four chances to come clean.

Julie Ingram, of Ermine Close, Hounslow, illegally claimed housing and council tax benefits that she was not entitled to because she had a job.

She was given four separate chances to own up to her crime and to Hounslow Council that she was a benefits cheat, but she failed to do so on each occasion.

Ingram pleaded not guilty to two charges on March 10. She was tried and found guilty on June 9 and sentenced at Feltham Magistrates' Court on 30 June.

As well as repaying nearly £2,500 in benefits, Ingram was ordered to carry out 100 hours in community service and pay £500 in court costs.

Cllr Gerald McGregor, executive member for finance, said: "Miss Ingram was offered several opportunities to declare her position.

"Prosecution was inevitable, and with the weight of evidence available, a conviction was assured.

"The message could not be clearer: Come clean and explain your situation and stay on the right side of the law, doing so could save you from court and the chance of a criminal record, which could really damage your future."

Ingram was caught thanks to a partnership between Hounslow Council's Benefit Fraud Unit, various government departments and relevant financial institutions.

Every month, the Benefit Fraud Unit receives information from computer data matching services, which highlight possible fraud cases for further investigation.