A mum has been ordered to do 140 hours community service for claiming benefits while running a cleaning business called Squeaky Clean.

Sharon Coyle of Tedder Road, Monks Hill, escaped jail when she appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 27, receiving a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The court heard the 44-year-old told Croydon Council she was living alone, but was in fact living with her partner who was in full-time work.

Despite her fraud Coyle advertised her business in local shops, restaurants, the library and on the Netmums website.

She created business cards advertising all types of cleaning, including carpet and curtains, ironing, windows and deep cleaning, with cleaning materials provided as part of the service.

According to one review on Netmums, Coyle charged customers £10 an hour. The court heard she bragged about her business success on Facebook but was caught when the council received an anonymous tip-off.

When police searched her home she asked officers: "If I just plead guilty can you go now?" The search uncovered business cards and a contacts book of 58 names, believed to be her clients.

During her interview Coyle, who was cautioned in February 2010 for fraud after failing to declare she was living with a partner, said she said she had attended church since she was a trial.

She pleaded guilty to six counts of housing and council tax benefit fraud totally £9,480 from July 1, 2010 and June 5, 2011. The council is in the process of recovering the benefit overpayment.

Councillor Dudley Mead, deputy leader of the council, said: "This fraud was made worse by the fact Coyle pretended to be a trusted member of the community by providing a cleaning service, when in reality she had her hand in the public purse.

"People like her will not get away with it, and we’ll always seek the highest punishment in the courts and ensure the hard-working taxpayer is reimbursed."