A GAMBIAN woman who fiddled more than £70,000 in benefits while staying in the country illegally is now facing deportation.

Ramou Jarjusey, aged 54, who currently lives in Dudley, arrived in the United Kingdom in 1996 on a six month visitor's visa but she opted not to return.

She was forbidden from claiming state benefits or working during her short stay but she went on to claim working tax credits, calling herself Rohey Ndow Njie - the false name she used to enter the country.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told Jarjusey also picked up child tax credits as she took full advantage of the benefits system using a string of false details.

Caroline Harris, prosecuting, said Jarjusey who reportedly has a child back in Gambia and gave birth to two more children during her time in England, illegally pocketed a total of £70,696 over a 10 year period.

The tax credits paid to her under the name of Njie were stopped in April 2015 after officials were told that person had moved to Denmark.

But three months later Jarjusey applied for the same benefits using her own name and she was also given a new National Insurance number.

Miss Harris said Jarjusey, who had an asylum application turned down, had been granted conditional leave to remain in the UK until November, when a decision will be made on whether she will be allowed to stay here permanently or if she will be deported.

Jarjusey, of The Farthings, admitted fraud and she was given a 16 month jail term, suspended for two years.

She was given a three month curfew and ordered and to pay a nominal £1,000 compensation back to the Government.

Recorder Peter Ievins told her: "You worked in this country without permission and you applied for benefits to which you were not entitled.

"You should not have been here and you should not have been working."