A benefits cheat who fiddled thousands of pounds was caught after her wedding pictures in Barbados appeared on Facebook.

Fraudster Hazel Cunningham was also said to have enjoyed three holidays a year in Turkey and was jailed for four months.

Ashford council says she was exposed as part of an investigation by its fraud investigation team when her wedding photographs were found on the social networking site.

Cunningham, 47, of Bloomsbury Way, Kennington, was arrested and pleaded guilty to four charges of making false statements and one of failing to notify a change in circumstances.

She was jailed for 120 days by Folkestone magistrates.

It was alleged she had failed to notify the authorities of her maternity pay from her employer and had also claimed she was a single mother when she was living with her husband.

At the same time she was claiming income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit, amounting to an average £170 a week - a total of just under £15,000.

Cllr Peter Wood, leader of Ashford Borough Council, said after the hearing: "This case is another success for the council who work tirelessly to ensure that honest taxpayers are not defrauded.

"The message is clear: people who commit benefit fraud will be caught."

Cunningham is expected to repay all the money she falsely claimed.