DATA matching led to a former employee of Manchester City Council being convicted of helping her sister steal council-administered benefits.

Gail Aspinall, of Rectory Avenue, Prestwich, admitted two counts of theft in relation to housing benefit and council tax benefit when she appeared before Bury magistrates on Monday.

Aspinall, a 40-year-old single parent of three, was sentenced to 100 hours community service and ordered to pay £200 costs.

The court was told that on two occasions Aspinall had falsified earnings certificates for a housing and council tax benefit claim made by her sister Anne Darbyshire of Polefield Hall Road, Prestwich.

Bury Council investigators came across the fraud after carrying out a data matching exercise, which showed that Anne Darbyshire's actual earnings were more than was stated on her earnings certificates.

The earnings certificates had been completed by Anne Darbyshire's sister and catering supervisor, Gail Aspinall, while they both worked for Manchester City Council at The Orangery, Heaton Hall, Prestwich.

Darbyshire was given an 18-month conditional discharge in November 2003 for her involvement in the benefits fiddle.