Mother forced her children to undergo serious operations they did not need to claim £375,000 benefits

'It is staggering to think that the mother's wilful actions resulted in the children undergoing unnecessary surgical and medical interventions. She lied at every opportunity.'

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A mother has been convicted of child cruelty after forcing her children to undergo gastric surgery they didn’t need in order to claim £375,000 in benefits.

Police say the 43-year-old “lied at every opportunity” to authorities and healthcare professionals in an attempt to convince them that her young son and daughter were suffering from a number of serious conditions including asthma, autism and gastric conditions. As a result, they were put through a number of serious and painful medical procedures which they didn’t need, including operations to fit gastronomy tubes to their stomachs, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The woman, from Croydon in South London, encouraged her son to engage in behavioural patterns consistent with autism and undermined nursery staff members’ attempts to toilet train him, as part of the guise. He was also made to take steroids for severe asthma, despite not suffering from the condition.

The mother, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of her children, falsely claimed £375,198.02 in benefits during the period.

The abuse came to light following a three-year investigation from the Metropolitan Police. Officers attended the family home and found more than £145,000 of NHS medical equipment including unused prescribed medication, feeding equipment and gastro milk.

The woman was found guilty of child cruelty at Croydon Crown Court and is due to be sentenced next month.

Detective Sergeant Stuart Parsons, who led the investigation, said: “It is staggering to think that the mother's wilful actions resulted in the children undergoing unnecessary surgical and medical interventions.

”She lied at every opportunity, presenting herself as a lone parent coping with ill and vulnerable children. The reality was that she resided with her partner and fabricated her children's conditions for personal financial gain.“