A council worker has been sacked from her job and handed a community punishment order after being found guilty of defrauding her employee out of £5,000.
The former employee was found guilty of defrauding the Royal Borough of Greenwich out of £5,363.92 in housing benefit payments, after she failed to tell them when her salary increased. The fraud was discovered by her managers and passed onto the council’s anti-frauid team for investigation.
Ms Lyel, who pleaded guilty to the offence at Bexley Magistrates Court, was dismissed from her job, ordered to repay the money and undertake 150 hours of unpaid community services.
Cllr Maureen O’Mara, the council’s cabinet member for customer services, said: ‘As a result of her fraudulent actions Ms Lyel has not only lost her job but she now has a criminal record for benefit fraud.
‘On top of that, she has to repay every penny she defrauded and the costs of the Royal Borough. Once again our message is clear…if you commit fraud against us, you will be caught.’
