A WOMAN who fraudulently claimed almost £85,000 from Scarborough Borough Council has been given a suspended prison sentence and tagged.

Carol Blackburn, 59, of Prospect Park, Scarborough, made a number of false statements to the council, in which she failed to tell them her landlord was also her husband, and claimed using a different name between 2003 and 2009, when the investigation into her claims began.

Blackburn was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to wear an electronic tag which confines her to her home between 7pm and 7am each day for six months.

Nicholas Edwards, Scarborough Borough Council’s head of finance and asset management, said: “The amount of money stolen in this case is truly shocking. The council will not tolerate fraud and will be taking steps through the Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover the money stolen from the defendant’s assets.”

Anyone suspecting fraud can report a case free and confidentially by phoning 0800 0568154.