A MOTHER-of-five has been jailed after running an escort agency worth £1.5 million while still claiming £117,000 in benefits.

Janine Adeleke, 43, duped the government by claiming she was unemployed when she was actually running Carltons of London which offered ‘high class’ escort services, providing the “finest London escorts to gentlemen of distinction”.

She hid the £650,000 income she earned from her escort agency so that she could avoid paying tax and claim state benefits to send one of her children to the £11,000-a-term Roedean school in Brighton.

An investigation led by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), working alongside the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), found that Adeleke had not declared any income, stealing more than £312,000 in unpaid Income Tax, National Insurance contributions and Tax Credits payments.

At the same time Adeleke, of Bexhill, fraudulently claimed over £37,000 in income support and other state benefits, and laundered £157,000 of illicit cash.

Richard Las, deputy director at HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said: “Adeleke claimed to be penniless, but this was far from the truth. She didn’t declare her income because she didn’t want to pay tax, but she did want to claim state benefits intended to help those on a low income, which she wasn’t entitled to.

“Adeleke broke the law to fund a lavish lifestyle and private education for her children, stealing money from vital public services designed to support and help struggling families.

“Our work doesn’t stop when a criminal is convicted and we are now working to reclaim the money Adeleke stole.”

Investigators began to look into the 43-year-old’s financial affairs and were shocked to discover she had splashed out at least £120,000 on private schools between November 2006 and January 2014.

They found evidence of lavish spending with tens of thousands of pounds spent on beauty treatments and holidays.

But when Adeleke discovered she was being investigated she began to use her elderly mother’s bank account to hide her income, laundering £157,000 through the account.

Santiago Sousa, Department for Work and Pensions fraud investigator ,said: “We know that the vast majority of people play by the rules, however this case shows our investigators are cracking down on criminals who defraud the system to make sure they are brought to justice.

“Working while claiming is the most common benefit fraud and we are committed to stopping it.”

Adeleke pleaded not guilty to money laundering, cheating the public revenue, and tax credits and benefit fraud, but was found guilty on September 29 following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

She was sentenced to three years in prison at the same court yesterday.

Confiscation proceedings have started to reclaim the money stolen by Adeleke.