A PAEDIATRIC nurse has been found guilty of defrauding the taxpayer out of £30,000.
A jury at Lancaster Crown Court found Kim Clarke, 53, of Henson Avenue, South Shore, guilty of false accounting on Friday.
Clarke was caught by a Department for Work and Pensions investigation in 2010, after falsely claiming disability living allowance for 14 years.
CCTV footage of Clarke shopping and exercising in St Annes town centre was shown to the court during the trial as proof her claim was fraudulent.
She had been working as a paediatric nurse at Blackpool Victoria Hospital since 1988.
Lord Freud, the Government Minister for Welfare Reform, said: “Benefit thieves are costing the taxpayer £1.2 billion per year.
“This money is intended to help those most in need not line the pockets of criminals.
“We will continue to tackle this problem at the frontline but also at the root by reforming the benefits system to make it less open to abuse.”
Follow us on twitter @The_Gazette and like our page on facebook to keep up with all the latest news.