Benefit scammer Rose Jones jailed after pictured scuba diving

A woman who claimed she was so disabled that she could not open a bottle of wine has been jailed for benefit fraud after she was pictured scuba-diving during exotic holidays.

Rose Jones, 53, from Ramsgate, Kent, was convicted at Canterbury Crown Court last month of claiming more than £130,000 in benefits for her disability, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

She was convicted of offences including furnishing false information, obtaining money by deception and dishonestly making false representation, and was sentenced to 15 months jail today.

Jones falsely claimed £66,869 in incapacity benefit, £42,266 in disability living allowance, £5,205 in carers allowance and £15,975 in tax credits, a DWP spokeswoman said.

Her husband, Reginald Jones, from whom she is reported to have since split, was jailed for 18 months after he was convicted of offences including obtaining money transfer by deception, furnishing false information and dishonestly making false representation.

It emerged that Mrs Jones and 53-year-old Mr Jones, a former paratrooper, took holidays for scuba-diving lessons to destinations including Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the Maldives and Indonesia.

They also went on other sporting holidays around the world.