A mother of five has been jailed after her £55,000 benefits scam was uncovered by welfare bosses.

Helen Habblett claimed money for being a single mother for three years despite having reconciled with her husband after a year apart.

Between 2009 and 2014, Habblett received £48,792.75 in tax credits and a further £7,603.50 in income support.

A probe was launched after a confidential tip-off with social media profiles, bank records and even covert surveillance used to confirm the pair were living together.

Despite the guilty verdict, Dundee Sheriff Court was told the monies will never be recovered by the taxpayer because a Department for Work and Pensions error means they are unable to chase it up.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: "She claimed child and working tax credits in 2003 and in 2009 informed HMRC she had separated from her husband and was living solely with her children.

"In 2011 and 2013 she confirmed there were no changes.

"She attended JobCentre on a fortnightly basis in this period and signed a form stating there were no changes."

She added: "As a result of confidential information that she had rekindled her relationship with her husband and that they were cohabiting, an investigation was started.

"Examination of bank records, employment records, Facebook profiles and car insurance applications suggested she was in fact cohabiting with him.

"Interviews with neighbours and surveillance further suggested they were living together.

"She was then interviewed in January 2014 and maintained she was not in a relationship with him but that he had been staying with her five nights a week.

"He was at the time employed with various construction companies."

Habblett, 51, of Bellisle Drive, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges under the Tax Credits Act and Social Security Administration Act committed between September 2010 and July 2014.

Defence solicitor Anne Duffy said: "This started off as ignorance and just continued on."

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Habblett for eight months, reduced from 12 for her early guilty plea.

He said: "Given the amount of benefit involved I've come to the conclusion that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."