A young mum from Teignmouth may be sent to prison after falsely claiming more than £13,000 in benefits.

Mother-of-two Leanne Proctor, of Gloucester Road, claimed for housing benefit, income support and council tax benefit in a three-year period, knowing she was not entitled to it as she was living with her partner who was working.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to all five charges at South Devon Magistrates Court, Newton Abbot, on Monday.

Philip White, prosecuting on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions and Teignbridge Council, said that Ms Proctor's claims were false from the first claim in January 2006, as she was living with her partner as husband and wife.

The fraud came to light in January 2008. When interviewed Ms Proctor said that her partner stayed with her four nights a week.

In all she claimed £4,432.70 income support, £7,633.83 housing benefit and £1,594.88 council tax benefit, making a total of £13,661.41.

Mitigating, Sarah French said that the initial claim was genuine as it was submitted when Ms Proctor was separated from her partner. Later they were reunited and had a second child.

'He was spending time at their address. It is acknowledged that they were living together,' Miss French said.

Chairman of the bench David Whittaker said: 'Your offences are so serious we feel you may go to custody. We are requesting pre-sentence reports considering all options, including custody because of the amount of money involved and the fact that the offences stretched over a long time.'

Ms Proctor will be sentenced on August 28 at Torquay courthouse.