THURROCK Councillor Clare Baldwin has been cleared by a jury of committing benefit fraud.

Councillor Baldwin, who has represented the Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park ward since 2011, had been standing trial at Basildon Crown Court this week over claims she made a false statement in March 2012 with a view to obtaining housing and council tax benefit.

Councillor Baldwin wept in the dock as the jury of eight women and four men gave the unanimous verdict.

Councillor Baldwin, a mum of ten, was accused of failing to declare she was living with her then-partner, Terrance Hearse, in Byron Gardens, Tilbury, in March 2012.

The amount claimed between March 2012 and February 2013 was £2,645.64.

Prosecution told the court on Tuesday that Mr Hearse, whose charges were dropped earlier this year, had registered his car to the Tilbury address, as well as having his post delivered there and using the address to apply for a loan.

Councillor Baldwin said the reason behind his post being delivered was that Mr Hearse had been "sofa surfing" at friends homes and didn’t have a permanent address.

Giving evidence today, Councillor Baldwin said she also knew that he was using the address to get a loan from Provident Personal Credit because she had been in the house when a representative from the company visited the address to meet Mr Hearse and discuss the loan in person.

She added though that she wasn’t aware that he had registered his driving licence and driving insurance to the address, or that he had given it as his residence at his place of work.

Councillor Baldwin said she would probably have said no to Mr Hearse doing so if he had asked.

Giving evidence earlier this week, David Kleinberg, fraud investigation manager at Thurrock Council, said they started the investigation into the Labour councillor after she made a point of saying on her benefits application form that she was single after moving from Loughton where she was dating Mr Hearse.