Benefit fraud charges against a Douglas woman have been dismissed after an error in the calculations was described as ’shambolic’.

Sheila Margaret Creasey, of Alexander Drive, previously appeared in court facing nine counts of benefit fraud said to involve a total overpayment in the region of £30,000.

The 65-year-old entered ’no plea’ responses to the charges and magistrates ordered the case to be committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery due to the amount involved.

However, on Tuesday, the court heard that the benefits office had since revised their calculation of the overpayment to £3,177, then revised it a second time to around £2,600.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon said that this had resulted in the charges having to be amended, and then, with the second amendment, had taken the figure to a low level which is dealt with by the benefits office rather than the court.

Ms Carroon said that the prosecution had no control over the calculations and would now be offering no evidence.

Defence advocate Peter Taylor agreed that the prosecution had no part in the error and said: ’Shambolic is probably a word you would use to describe what’s happened.’