A former HMRC employee has been jailed for 12 months for tax credits fraud of nearly £56,000.

Frances Cole, from West London, made fraudulent tax credits claims worth £55,185 while working as an administrative officer for HMRC.

Cole claimed that she was a lone parent between April 2003 and July 2012, but was living with her husband throughout. She also failed to declare all her income between April 2008 and March 2010.

Cole pleaded guilty to three charges of being knowingly concerned in fraudulent activity undertaken with a view to obtaining payments of tax credits contrary to section 35 (1) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 during her trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

Joff Parsons, senior manager, internal governance, HMRC, said: 'Cole abused her position of trust, deliberately attacking and abusing a system designed to provide financial help to the most vulnerable people in our society.

'HMRC is committed to the highest level of integrity and we take the strongest possible action against the tiny minority who let us all down by falling short of those standards.'

This is the second case of a current or former HMRC employee caught up in tax credit fraud. In April, Isomidola Olajide was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court for two years' jail, having admitted a £72,000 tax credits fraud while working as an administrative assistant at HMRC.