A woman was jailed for two years today for a £40,000 fraud in which she stole the identity of her sister living in Kenya to claim benefits.

Between 2000 and 2007, Dawn Shackleton, 46, claimed income support, housing and council tax benefits in the name of her sister Julie Menzar and her four children - as well as claiming the state handouts to which she was entitled.

After a tip-off, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched an investigation which found Shackleton's handwriting and fingerprints on various applications purporting to be from Ms Menzar, who emigrated in 1994.

At an earlier hearing Shackleton, of McDonald Road, Benwell, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to five counts of forgery and one count of making a false statement, totalling £40,000.

Shackleton and her family, who were the first in Newcastle to be evicted from a private home last year following complaints about their behaviour, have over 230 criminal convictions between them.

Jeff Taylor, representing Shackleton at Newcastle Crown Court, said that when the defendant's adult children had been in trouble with the law she had used money from the fraud "to pay their fines when she can" and "keep their heads above water".

He said that two trips she took to America were paid for legitimately by her then-partner, not using the false benefits.

"The money has not just been used to live the high life, not gambling or anything of the sort," Mr Taylor added.

"She has effectively been supporting others.

"She is sorry for what occurred and she knows it is now over."

Roger Moore, prosecuting, said that while Shackleton took over the benefits scam in 2000, someone else had begun falsely claiming in Menzar's name before then.

"Quite who was doing that is not a matter I can lay at the foot of this lady," he said.

Wearing jeans and a striped polo shirt, Shackleton was expressionless as her sentence was read out.

Judge Michael Cartlidge said: "It does appear that the defendant has a troubled family and she has been paying money to drug dealers on behalf of members of her family who owe them money."

But he said the fraud "required a certain amount of effort on her part".

"She had to keep filling in forms and administering the fraud to keep it running and it was only stopped when the department investigated and arrested her in November 2007."

He added: "I fail to see how I can fail to impose a custodial sentence today."

Speaking outside court, Roy Taylor, of the DWP's Fraud Investigation Service, said the sentence reflected the "serious matter" of attacking the benefits system.

He added: "I think it sends a message to all would-be fraudsters: be careful because we are watching them."

A spokeswoman for Northumbria police said the eviction of Shackleton and her family on August 1, 2007 followed numerous reports made to various agencies relating to anti-social behaviour and environmental health concerns.

She said: "At the time of the eviction the family had 236 convictions between them, including burglary, disorder and theft."