THE LATEST in a long line of Warrington benefit cheats was led away to the cells in tears on Tuesday.

Julie Crockett wept as she was taken from the dock to serve an eight-month jail sentence for falsely claiming £26,518.

The 39-year-old, from Ashley Close in Grappenhall, had never committed an offence before this scam, Warrington Crown Court heard.

And her defence counsel Simon Rogers wanted Crockett to serve a community penalty instead of a jail sentence.

He told the court: "A prison sentence for Mrs Crockett would not only have a devastating impact on her, it would also have a huge impact on her eight-year-old son."

And he argued: "The money which she acquired wasn't spent on unnecessary luxuries. It was spent on basic necessities.

"She is a low risk of reconviction and she is also a low risk of harm to the public."

But Judge David Hale decided she had falsely claimed too much money and jailed her.

The court also heard the Department of Work and Pensions had introduced a policy to prosecute all benefit cheats.

Judge Hale said: "In the past six months the DWP seems to be prosecuting a larger number of cases.

"The department has certainly unearthed many similar cases in Warrington. The sooner people stop doing it the better."

Crockett had claimed housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support from 1997 to 2001 as a single parent of two.

But, by 2001, the on-off relationship with the children's father was back on. He was earning around £250 a week working in a garage and moved in with Crockett.

She carried on claiming benefits as she had done previously until a tip-off led to her arrest in March 2004.

Last month Crockett pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to notify the relevant authorities about her change in circumstances.

She was sentenced this week.