A GRANDMOTHER accused of claiming £2,000 in benefits despite allegedly having £200,000 in savings has a warrant out for her arrest after failing to appear in court.

But today Kathleen Barker, 72, was at her home in Burnley, and said she was too ill to go to court because she is awaiting heart surgery.

Magistrates issued a warrant for pensioner Barker after she failed to appear to answer the charges at Reedley magistrates yesterday.

The court date was the second missed by Mrs Barker, a grandmother of two, of Coal Clough Lane, who also failed to show up at the same court in December.

A letter to magistrates from Mrs Barker said she was unable to attend court because she is waiting for major heart surgery - but the bench ordered police to arrest her and bring her to court.

The pensioner is facing five charges of making a false statement to Burnley council that she had no savings or investments - but she allegedly had almost £200,000 in savings and investments.

Burnley council say Mrs Barker was overpaid by £2,784 in council tax rebates, money she has since paid back to the council.

She was at her bungalow home today and said: "I did send a letter in to the court explaining why I couldn't go and that's because I am waiting for some major heart surgery. I have a problem with two of the valves in my heart and I am the top of the list for the operation, but I am too ill to go to court."

Court officials at Reedley will now notify police through the Criminal Justice Support Team that a warrant with bail has been issued and Mrs Barkers details will be entered on the Pennine force's database.

A Lancashire police spokesman said: "Attendance at court is a key part of having an effective local criminal justice system. When people fail to appear at court police officers will be deployed to locate them ensuring that they are brought swiftly back before the courts to be dealt with appropriately."