A WOMAN who secured disability benefit stating she could only walk a short distance with a stick was revealed to have regularly played golf over a five-mile hilly course.

And yesterday, 63-year-old Cynthia Thompson admitted at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court that between November 2006 and October last year, she had failed to notify the Benefits Agency of an improvement in her physical capability.

Jonathan Moreland, prosecuting, told the court that Thompson, of The Bungalow, Broomyholme Farm, Edmondsley, near Consett, County Durham, who suffers from osteo-arthritis, spondylosis and sciatica, had claimed disability living allowance from March 1995 to October last year.

Mr Moreland said she had told the Benefits Agency that “she needed help with walking, both indoors and outside”.

She had also stated she needed to use a walking stick to get around, needed help with her personal care and was unable to prepare a meal for herself.

However, Mr Moreland said it had come to light that since November 2006 she had been a member of Beamish Park Golf Club.

He said the secretary of the club had confirmed that the pensioner, who had a 36 handicap, had played golf as often as twice a week over the four to five-mile “hilly” course without assistance and had taken part in tournaments and competitions.

The court was told that when initially questioned she had denied playing golf, but admitted her walking had improved due to the use of a special bio-chem machine.

Mr Moreland said that the defendant’s failure to notify the agency of the improvement in her physical condition had resulted in a loss to the public purse of £3,179.

Defending Thompson, Nick Musgrove told the court how at the time it was made, and up until November 2006, her claim was “entirely genuine”.

He said her condition had resulted from an industrial accident at work She had also suffered from depression and first joined the golf club as a social member.

The use of the bio-chem machine had greatly assisted her physical condition and only then had she become a playing member.

He said she had played against other members, but had not taken part in competitions or tournaments.

“She knows now that she had a duty to report her improvement to the Benefits Agency and she has been worried sick about this case,’’ he said.

Magistrates were told that she was paying back the overpayment.

Fining Thompson £133 and ordering her to pay costs totalling £165, chairman of the bench Alan Milligan said: “You were sufficiently improved to go out and play golf and did not declare the improvement, that is why you are here today.”