A WOMAN obtained £500 when she cashed bogus social security cheques at a Darwen Post office.

But Blackburn magistrates heard that alarm bells began to ring because of the number of orders and when Lisa Wooton tried to cash another docket she was detained.

He court was told that inquiries eventually revealed that the payment slips, which had previously been reported stolen, had been inserted inside the cover of Wooton's own benefit book.

Wooton, 21, of Mersey Avenue, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to obtaining property by deception.

She was granted a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £22 compensation and £25 costs.

Clare Fanning, prosecuting, said the reference numbers on the front of the book and the payment orders were different.

Wooton told the police that a man who had previously reported his book stolen had placed the pages in her cover. She said she was going to keep the money.

Ian Holland, defending, said Wooton was a single parent in lots of debt and she had been tempted by the promise of easy money.