An HMRC employee, who falsely claimed she was a single parent, has been jailed, after fraudulently claiming £72,000 in tax credits.

Isomidola Olajide was living with her husband between April 2005 and January 2012 while she received the benefits that - due to her circumstances - she was not entitled to.

The fraud began three years after Olajide had started employment at HMRC, where she remained as an administrative officer until 2013 - when her fraudulent claims were uncovered.

Olajide was jailed for two years at Woolwich Crown Court, having admitted tax credits fraud at a previous hearing. She will serve one year in prison and the remainder on licence. Upon sentencing, Judge Moore referred to Olajide's 'hard-nosed dishonesty, over a significant period of time'.

Joff Parsons, senior manager of HMRC Internal Governance Criminal Investigations, said: 'Over a seven year period, Olajide 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.'

Olajide was charged with being knowingly concerned in fraudulent activity undertaken with a view to obtaining payments of tax credits totalling £72,000 contrary to section 35 (1) of the Tax Credits Act 2002.