A fraudster who could have caused “catastrophic” danger to road users after sitting practical tests for leaner drivers has been jailed.

Regine Tezangi, 52, was paid hundreds of pounds to sit DVLA driving tests between June 2014 and February 2016 at test centres in Sidcup and Hither Green.

Tezangi, of Victoria Park in Hackney, pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud at a hearing and was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to seven months in jail yesterday, Tuesday March 28.

The five women who Tezangi impersonated were also sentenced at the court after pleading guilty during a previous hearing.

Esther Ehigbor, of Mitcham 53, Galech Barry, 30, of Kennington and Ruphine Impiri, of Wandsworth 44 were sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard how Impiri paid Tezangi £500 because she was “frustrated with the number of lessons” she had been taking.

Tezangi failed the first test for Impiri in January 2016, resitting it a month later.

Sylvie Omango, 37, of Finsbury Park was also handed a three-month suspended sentence and a three-month curfew, and Riskiet Olawuyi, 46, of New Cross was given a three-month suspended sentence with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Judge Deborah Taylor said the actions had created a “risk of serious injury which is in one sense unquantifiable but…could be catastrophic.”

Caroline Jackson, defending, said she acted because she had a “desire to help others in need.”

But Bill McGivern, for the prosecution, said: “These offences are offences which undermine the integrity of the driving licence system.