WATCH: Landlady pulled 50 pints in an hour despite saying she could barely hold a glass and claiming £26k in disability benefits

This damning evidence was presented against landlady Elaine Gordon who admitted swindling the public out of almost £26,000 by claiming disability benefits.

Gordon was filmed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at the Prince Of Wales in Tipton Road, Dudley, pouring ale from heavy cask pumps and lifting items into the boot of her car, despite claiming that Raynaud's Disease and arthritis meant she needed help even dressing and washing herself.

She was the landlady at three pubs and was secretly filmed pulling scores of pints in an hour for customers at one of them.

The 59-year-old, from Midhurst Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to fraud at Dudley Magistrates Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Maxine Jarrousse-Jones told the court: "Gordon was claiming Disability Living Allowance from February 2009 to September 2014. In total she claimed £25,946.

"She had been in receipt of that benefit since 2001, when she was classed as severely disabled.

"She was paid by credit transfer, and she received the money on the basis that she would notify the Department for Work and Pensions if there was any change in her circumstances.

"Evidence found her working in a pub where she was landlady and it suggested that her situation had greatly improved.

"When she first put in her claim for the benefit, she stated that she was unable to work because she had Raynaud's Disease, arthritis and varicose veins.

"She said she needed help getting in and out of bed, washing, dressing and cooking.

"These things were taking into consideration when her benefit payment was calculated.

"She was a landlady at a pub, but was able to go about her daily duties without any problems."

She added: "She was seen serving customers and walking around unaided. She went to the cash and carry and was able to lift heavy items.

"She has accepted from the outset that she had failed to update the DWP on her improvements.

"She says that it is down to the medication that she has improved.

"This fraud has come at a significant cost to the community."

Gordon - who further maintained she had difficulty getting in and our of bed and was prone to falling over - launched the racket in December 2009 while running the Boat Inn in Cradley Heath.

It continued after she moved to be landlady of the Prince of Wales and was still in operation when she switched to running the nearby Riddins Tavern where she was secretly pictured pulling 50 pints in an hour for punter during a televised World Cup match in 2014.

DWP investigators had been tipped off that Gordon - who had been claiming disability living allowance for eight years

by that time - had not told officials of a significant improvement in her condition.

She had allegedly been suffering from Raynaud's Disease together with arthritis in her back, leg and neck and varicose veins.

But business advisers - who covered the three pubs where she was the tenant at varying times during the fraud - said she never displayed any obvious difficulty in movement while at work. She had not mentioned suffering from ill health when applying for the jobs.

A DWP spokesman said: "Only a small minority of benefit claimants are dishonest but cases like this show how we are rooting out the unscrupulous minority who are cheating the system and diverting taxpayers' money from those who really need it.

"We are determined to find those we suspect of abusing the welfare system by following up on tip-offs, undertaking surveillance and working with local councils. Deliberately not informing us of a change in your condition that may affect your claim is a crime. Don't wait for our fraud investigators to find you - tell us of a change now. If you suspect someone of fraudulently claiming benefits, then call our National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854440."

Gordon, who admitted failing to notify the authorities of a change in circumstances, will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on February 8.