A wealthy woman with money in a Swiss bank account and children in fee-paying schools, including Cheltenham Ladies College, cheated £20,000 in benefits, a court has heard.

Caroline Foxley, 58, claimed income support, jobseekers allowance, council tax and housing benefits despite having more than £300,000 in the bank, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Ms Foxley, formerly of Broad Marston Lane, Mickleton, Glos, but now living in Exeter St, Teignmouth, Devon, denies four charges of dishonestly failing to report a change in her circumstances affecting her entitlement to benefits and dishonestly making false representations to obtain benefits between March 2007 and March 2009.

Prosecutor Stephen Mooney told the court: "This case is about greed really. It involves her making a calm, calculated and rational decision, in fact quite a number of them, to top up her already quite substantial income by making false claims for benefit.

"This is a thoroughly dishonest woman who decided to get money she knew she was not entitled to in the hope and expectation, and arrogance, that she would not be caught.

"Greedy people bank on not being caught but this was a gamble in respect of which this woman failed."

The benefit rules do not allow anyone with more than £16,000 in the bank to be paid any state benefits, jurors heard.

Mr Mooney explained Ms Foxley did qualify for benefits up until March 30, 2007, when she sold a house for £306,000.

He told how she paid the money into an Indian bank then started using the money which included paying fees to Cheltenham Ladies College, Malvern College and Bloxham School, Banbury.

Between 2007 and 2009 she paid in the region of £48,000 to Bloxham School alone.

"This was a woman who had certain high expectations and standards for her children and a sense that she was entitled to a particular standard of living and she was going to have it come what may," Mr Mooney said.

The interest she was receiving on her money was around £300 every couple of weeks - more than the benefits she was claiming - but when she filled out forms certifying she still qualified for benefits she said she had only £100 in a Lloyds TSB account.

During the course of the alleged deceptions, Mr Mooney said she transferred her money into Habibsons Bank - a Swiss bank with a branch in London.

"No doubt she was taking advantage of the notorious and well documented reluctance of the Gnomes of Zurich to give out information about their bank accounts. The money went back to Zurich, spirited away, no doubt, to be used by Ms Foxley."

He said that when the alleged frauds were detected Ms Foxley was "like a chameleon on a tartan hook" not knowing which way to turn when questioned.

She claimed the money in the account was not hers and was needed by her ex husband in Italy to settle debts.

She produced a document to support that claim but the prosecution alleged it was a false document, he went on.

The case continues.