A Dartford woman will be forced to pay hundreds of pounds after lying to council officials when applying for council housing.

Ellie Taylor had applied to Bexley Council for housing on November 23 last year, stating that she was a single parent.

Ms Taylor told officials that she and her children had been asked to leave her father’s house, where she claimed to be living at the time, and that she was homeless.

However, according to Bexley Council officials, further enquiries  established that Ms Taylor had taken her boyfriend’s name and was living with him at an address in Dartford.

While Ms Taylor said the house was her boyfriend’s, it was established that the tenancy was in her name.

Although the couple and their children lived at the address, Ms Taylor was claiming single person’s council tax discount on the property.

When interviewed, Ms Taylor admitted lying in her housing application and apologised.

She appeared before Bexley Magistrates’ Court on July 8 where she was fined £700 after pleading guilty to fraud.

Ms Taylor was also ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge of £70 and costs of £400, making a total of £1,170.

However the fine was reduced from £1,000 in recognition of her early guilty plea and taking account of her income.