A benefit cheat who concealed a £67,000 divorce settelement in her children’s bank accounts has been jailed for 16 months.

Nadine Pirincci, 41, of York Road in North Weald, fraudulently claimed more than £48,000 in a variety of benefits between 2009 and 2013.

She told officials she was selling a house in Forest Gate, but an investigation revealed it had been taken off the market and rented out.

Investigators later discovered she had deposited the large divorce payment in accounts held in her children's names.

She also did not declare work she had been paid for in cash and was found to have £80,000 in undeclared accounts.

Appearing at Chelmsford Crown Court last month, Pirincci pleaded guilty to seven offences relating to making false statements, one offence of producing or furnishing a false document to dishonestly claim benefits and four counts of failing to notify a change in circumstances.

Councillor Syd Stavrou, finance portfolio holder at Epping Forest District Council, said: “This is a blatant case of someone meaning to cheat the system.

“The defendant deliberately set out to deceive the council and the DWP from the beginning and continued to dishonestly claim benefits which she knew she was not entitled to, at the expense of the tax payer.

“I am pleased the judge took a strong stance and awarded a tough sentence.

“I hope it will act as a deterrent to others and makes it clear that benefit fraud cannot be tolerated.”

Pirincci originally pleaded not guilty at Colchester Magistrates Court in August 2014, but due to the number of offences and the amount of money involved her case was sent to crown court.