A man has been jailed for 12 weeks after falsely claiming more than £45,000 in benefits.

Carl St George, 48, of Morley Avenue, Edmonton, claimed £48,720 in benefits between April 1, 2009 and November 2013.

Having moved into the home in 2001, St George declared that he was living with his daughter in the home he was renting from a Mr N Thomas, and claimed for housing benefit and council tax benefit.

In 2005, St George informed the council that his landlord had changed and the property was now owned by Nathalie Jennifer Thomas and her sister, to whom he declared he was not related.

However, following an investigation, it was discovered that Miss Thomas was in fact the mother of St George's two children. His seven-month-old son came to live with him in 2006.

After Enfield Council decided to prosecute Carl St George, he pleaded guilty pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstance between, April 8, 2004 and January 20, 2014.   

St George was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court, in Haringey, yesterday and  will spend 12 weeks in prison.