BENEFIT fraud suspect Patricia Rippa has walked free from court after the charges against her were dropped.

But the 41-year-old Trowbridge woman will still have to pay £52,000 back to the Department of Work and Pensions, a court heard.

Rippa, of Ramsbury Walk, denied four charges of falsely claiming benefits when she appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecutor Ian Halliday told the court Rippa falsely claimed thousands of pounds of benefit between 1995 and 1998.

When pleas were entered at the hearing Mr Halliday told the court no evidence would be offered in the case.

The police investigation began in summer 2001 but Mr Halliday said the papers did not reach him until spring this year.

After offering his advice to solicitors it was decided not to continue with the prosecution.

He said: "There has been an adjudication that some £52,000 of monies are payable by this lady to the Department of Work and Pensions."

Mr Halliday said the Crown's decision not to proceed with criminal charges had no bearing on the finding of the adjudication.

Judge Tom Longbotham recorded formal not guilty verdicts on two counts of false accounting and two of making false representations to obtain benefits.