A 29-YEAR-OLD woman who stole more than £7,000 from the state has been sentenced to community punishment.

Kelly Nield, of Manchester Road, was sentenced at Warrington Magistrates' Court on Friday, September 16 to 80 hours community punishment.

Nield was ordered to pay back £7,243.41 that she had falsely claimed in both council benefits and Department for Work and Pensions benefits.

Adrian Webster, the council's benefits manager, said: "Benefit cheats are not just defrauding the Government, but their own tax-paying neighbours and communities."

People in Warrington can give information about alleged fraudsters free and in confidence on the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854440.