Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Befefit fraud is theft, plain and simple.

A benefits cheat who failed to declare she owned a property when she claimed state handouts has been warned she could be jailed.

Christina Dunn, 55, also did not reveal her savings when she claimed job seeker's allowance, housing and council tax benefit.

She received about £20,000 she was not entitled to by making the false claims, Swindon Crown Court was told.

Dunn pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making a false statement with a view to obtaining benefit.

From October 2009 she failed to declare that she owned land or property, in the form of a house in Peterborough. She also said she did not having any savings when in reality she had money in an ISA.

Dunn pleaded not guilty to a more serious charge of dishonestly making a false representation to obtain benefit and the Crown offered no evidence on that.

Hopefully, she will get a harsh sentence in order to deter other would-be thieves from trying the same deceit.