A CLACKS woman who fraudulently claimed thousands in benefits has been told to carry out unpaid work.

Angeline Muirhead, 31, had been in receipt of child tax credit, but failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of a material change in circumstances which she knew would affect her entitlement.

As a result, she received £7,500 from the state, which she will have to pay back.

The offence took place over a 12 month period, from November 2012 to November 2014, while Muirhead was staying at an address in Curran Court, Tillicoultry.

Muirhead, currently of Glasgow, admitted the offence and appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, June 29, for sentencing.

Sheriff David Mackie said she would placed under supervision for 18 months and would have to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work over the next year.

He told her: "All this means that you will have someone appointed to you from the social work department to help you on this. It is my duty to tell you that if this doesn't work, or you don't engage, this will simply be brought back to court where the mattered reviewed and, if necessary, a different sentence imposed."

The sheriff added that he did not impose a compensation order, finding that the DWP would better placed to pursue repayments.