AN ANN Summers party planner and her partner fraudulently claimed nearly �4,000 in benefits by failing to declare her job to Huntingdonshire District Council.

Amanda Graves, 36, and her partner Neale Denton, 34, both of Avenue Road, Huntingdon, pleaded guilty to three and five charges of fraud respectively between 2007 and 2010.

A Huntingdonshire District Council investigation revealed Graves had worked for Ann Summers as a party organiser and had at one time been so successful she had more than 40 people working for her as sales representatives.

Denton and Graves were both interviewed by the council but denied there was any profit from the work.

They falsely claimed �3,957 in housing benefit and council tax benefit, and have made arrangements to repay the money.

In mitigation at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on November 29, Elaine Havord said Graves had seen the work for Ann Summers as a hobby, with income not exceeding �80 a week, and the couple were now both back in work and not claiming any benefits from the council.

Neale received a 12-month community order, 40 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay �140 in costs. Graves was told to pay a fine of �180 and �140 in costs.

Four other benefit cheats were prosecuted by HDC on the same day.

Ian Musgrove, 66, claimed council tax benefit and pension credit between 2007 and 2011 despite holding more than �60,000 in a dozen accounts.

Musgrove, of Arnhem Close, Eaton Socon, declared he had capital of �12,000 in 2007 when he claimed pension credit, and �7,000 in 2008 when he claimed Council Tax benefit. As a result, he was overpaid �12,007, which he has now paid back.

He was given a 12-month community order, 80 hours of unpaid work and council costs of �580.

A tip-off from the public led to Sarah Marshall, 28, of Howitts Gardens, Eynesbury, being charged with two charges of benefit fraud between December 2009 and April 2010. Marshall, who pleaded guilty, had claimed benefit as a single parent but failed to report that her partner was living with her.

She was overpaid �2,456 in housing benefit and income support. Magistrates gave her a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to contribute �300 to costs.

Christopher Deadman, 26, previously of Comben Drive, Godmanchester, pleaded guilty to five charges of benefit fraud between 2009 and 2010.

Deadman, in court on a warrant, had had a number of employers but had not declared them and as a result was overpaid �2,202 in housing benefit and job seeker’s allowance.

Deadman received a 12-month community order, 40 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay the council �1,212.50 compensation and costs of �220.

Donald Overall, 69, of Coronation Avenue, Warboys pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud between 2007 and 2011 by concealing a �44,000 inheritance from the council.

He received �11,000 in benefits he was not entitled to, which he has since repaid.

He received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay the council’s full costs of �480.

Diane Moore, 39, of Musker Place, Papworth Everard, pleaded guilty at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court to two charges of failing to report changes in her circumstances. She did not tell South Cambridgeshire District Council and the DWP that she had started work, overclaiming �3,961 in housing and Council Tax benefit and �2,103 in income support. She was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 200 hours of unpaid work.