An Ayr woman has been found guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court of fraudulently claiming Housing/Council Tax Benefit totalling more than £11,000 from South Ayrshire Council.

The court was told that Margaret Wardrop, aged 64, from Glendale Place, Ayr, had failed to declare her 20 hour plus a week employment as a care assistant at Braemar Residential Home in Ayr for more than four years.

Evidence was given that Housing Benefit amounting to £8346.44 and Council Tax Benefit of £2693.54 had been fraudulently claimed between the period from 25/2/02 to 12/04/06.

When she appeared in court Margaret Wardrop pled not guilty to the charge of failing to provide her earned income to South Ayrshire Council's Housing/Council Tax Benefit Office, however she was found guilty after trial following evidence presented by South Ayrshire Council's Counter Fraud Investigations Team

Sheriff Miller deferred sentence for one year.

January 2007