A COMPANY director turned cleaner from Burnley carried out a £31,000 benefits scam over a seven-year period, a court heard.

Ann Bent, 69, had been due to stand trial at Burnley Crown Court over the pensions credit fraud, which saw her continue to claim pension credit despite being self-employed.

Not only was she listed as the director of an unnamed company, for a time, but she was also a self-employed cleaner.

Bent, of Park Cottages, Towneley Park, Burnley, admitted to a charge of failing to notify a change in circumstances to the Department of Work and Pensions for benefits between April 2006 and April 2014.

She was remanded on bail to Preston Crown Court, for pre-sentence reports until July 13.

Keith Harrison, defending, told the court that while his client may have been the co-director of her own company, she had worked more latterly as a cleaner.

The court heard significant debts had also been run up with Bent's former company, through the actions of other family members, who were said to be 'not particularly competent' in their business affairs.

Judge Simon Newell said it was apparent that Bent had been claiming just over £4,000 a year, which equated to more than £31,000 over the seven-and-a-half year period for the fraud.

The court heard that Bent did have a previous theft conviction, albeit a 'very long time ago' when she was aged in her late 30s, which Judge Newell said he could not completely disregard.

Judge Newell added: "There was a suspended prison sentence for theft from an employer when she was aged around 38. It is not something I could ignore in the circumstances."

He told the court that the guideline sentence for such a fraud had a range of between 12 months and three-and-a-half years in custody, though the terms covered the level of punishment after a trial.

But Judge Newell said that it would have to be taken into account that the fraud had been persistently carried out over a significant period of time.

Mr Harrison said that he hoped to persuade any sentencing court that any prospective custodial term might be suspended, given the defendant's age and the offer of the money being repaid to the department in full.