Patricia Lawrence was living in Alicante while fraudulently claiming benefits

by Thom Morris

A pensioner claimed more than £10,000 in benefits by saying she lived in ASHFORD when she was actually sunning herself in SPAIN.

Patricia Lawrence, of Bybrook Road, Kennington, kept up the pretence for five years - with her granddaughter living in her council flat while she enjoyed life in Alicante, on the Costa Blanca.

But the 74-year-old (pictured left) was prosecuted following an anonymous tip-off and found guilty of dishonestly failing to notify Ashford council her taxpayer-funded flat was not her main place of residence.

While living in Alicante, believed to be with her boyfriend, Lawrence managed to claim housing benefit of £7,851 and council tax benefit of £3,202 from Ashford Borough Council.

Her granddaughter Jade had been living in Mrs Lawrence's council flat.

ABC investigators, led by manager Jo Fox, carried out a check of Mrs Lawrence's UK transactions and bank statements and discovered she had not withdrawn cash or paid on a debit card in this country for 215 weeks out of 252.

At one point Mrs Lawrence, who in 2001 was elected to speak on behalf of residents of Kennington in ABC's Tenants' Forum, claimed to council staff that her details must have been mixed up with her friend who was looking to move to Spain.

When interviewed by Ashford council, they demanded Mrs Lawrence hand back her ground floor flat and keys, which she agreed to do.

She pleaded not guilty at an earlier magistrates' hearing, but was found guilty during her trial at Dover Magistrates' Court.

Magistrates told the well-tanned grandmother: "There had been challenges against your credibility in 2005 and 2008, you had made inquiries about being absent and you were aware that you had to notify Ashford Borough Council that you were out of the country."

Patricia Lawrence claimed she was living in these flats in Bybrook Road, Kennington

Due to her age and health, she was given a conditional discharge for two years and ordered to pay £1,000 contribution towards the cost of the case.

Arrangements are also being made for her to pay back the full amount of benefits she fraudulently received.

ABC's financial boss Cllr Robert Taylor said: "We will not let benefit cheats get away with it.

"They are cheating every honest taxpayer and that is not fair."