A couple has been jailed for carrying out a seven-year fraud, using money to buy properties and finance mortgage repayments.

Nicole Mwamba, 48 was sentenced to 30 months in prison and William Kapuya, 47, was sentenced to 14 months. The couple were sentenced yesterday at Croydon Crown Court of 18 offences relating to the fraud, which took place between 2004 and 2011.

Ms Mwamba claimed housing and council tax benefit. She used the benefits to pay off mortgage repayments while living with Mr Kapuya by using a Belgian national’s details to claim the benefits and invented the name of a landlord alias, Nikole Kapuya.

Simon Hall, cabinet member for finance and treasury, said: ‘This fraud was only exposed following a very complex investigation, so it is a credit to all involved in the prosecution for bringing this case to a successful conclusion.

‘These two individuals cheated the taxpayer out of a colossal sum of money by claiming they were single people with no sources of income or capital.