A benefit cheat who fled to Turkey after skipping bail in 2001 has been jailed for two-and-a-half months.

Margaret Gregory, who was living at Hurstcourt Road, Sutton, when first arrested nine years ago, claimed more than £8,000 in housing and council tax benefits.

But the 56-year-old failed to tell the authorities she was working as a cleaner and that her husband was running a successful chauffeur and wedding car hire company.

Mrs Gregory originally pleaded not guilty to charges of benefit fraud but, instead of standing trial, fled to Turkey with her husband, where she lived for nine years.

Last month, Sutton Council discovered the fraudster had returned to the country due to her husband’s ill health and she was arrested.

Mrs Gregory, now of Glastonbury Road, Morden, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to 28 days’ imprisonment for breaching her original bail conditions and a further six weeks in jail for benefit offences.

Gerald Almeroth, of Sutton Council, said: “The harsh sentence given to Margaret Gregory by the courts reflects the severity of her crime.

"We will not let benefit cheats take money from those who rightly deserve it - they will be brought to justice.”

Over the last year, the council has prosecuted 27 benefit cheats and punished a further 114 people for committing benefit fraud, recovering hundreds of thousands pounds which have been wrongfully paid out.

If you know someone who is fraudulently claiming benefits, call the council on 020 8770 5687 or go to the website sutton.gov.uk.

Alternatively call the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 328 6340 or Textphone on 0800 328 6341.