Helen Pearse of Widdrington, Northumberland, took out pet insurance policies with six insurers and made a total of 18 fraudulent claims against them over four years.

In most cases, she made up the names and breeds of the animals that she had taken out the policies for.

Pearse then altered invoices for medical treatment that the practice had sent to genuine clients so that they appeared to have been issued to her, and submitted them to the insurers to evidence her claims.