A controversial former newspaper columnist failed to communicate one crucial piece of information while claiming benefits - that he was already sitting on a tidy sum.

Now prolific letter writer Clive Wilkins-Oppler, who divided opinion among Kentish Gazette readers, has admitted pocketing £51,500 in income support and council and housing benefit to which he was not entitled.

The jobless 47-year-old, of Garlinge Green, who was not paid for his column by the KM Group, pleaded guilty to two charges of making fraudulent claims when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court.

The offences covered a period between 2006 and 2011, when Wilkins-Oppler failed to declare to the Department of Work and Pensions that he had assets which would have resulted in any claim for financial support being rejected.

Philip Rowley, defending, said he has since repaid more than £48,000 of the money to which he was not entitled.

Judge Simon James adjourned sentencing until next month pending a report prepared by the Probation Service.

But he told him: “You have admitted a serious offence involving a significant amount of money.”

Wilkins-Oppler had been living in Artillery Street, in Canterbury, at the time of the offences – where he penned many of his letters.

He write numerous letter to the Gazette before beng given his own column, which earned him cult following and even sparked the creation of a Clive Wilkins-Oppler Appreciation Society on Facebook – dubbing him "Mr Angry of Canterbury".

In 2005, he tried to enter local politics and stood in the county council elections as an independent in Canterbury City’s north east ward.

Two years later, he tried to get elected in the Northgate ward in city council elections - but he polled few votes and slumped to last place on both occasions.

Wilkins-Oppler was remanded on bail until his next court appearance.