Benefits cheat caught taking part in a zumba class despite pretending to be disabled to claim Â£30,000Â Mary Thirsk claimed she could hardly walk and needed aid preparing meals ButÂ investigatorsÂ caught her 'dancing on one leg' in 40-minute workout 44-year-old was also spotted carrying bales of hay and riding horses She escaped jail yesterday and was given 14-week suspended sentence A benefits cheat who pretended to be disabled to claim more than Â£30,000 was caught out after undercover investigators filmed her 'dancing on one leg' at a zumba class. Mary Thirsk, 44, claimed she could hardly walk and needed help preparing meals but was spotted exuberantly dancing and 'waving her arms around' during the 40-minute workout. Investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions also witnessed her carrying bales of hay and riding horses.Â Workout: Mary Thirsk's benefits scam was foiled after investigators filmed her during a zumba classÂ Thirsk's scams covered a period between July 2010 and May last year and involved her being overpaid by Â£30,300.Â One of the investigators, who filmed her at a zumba class, told Blackpool Magistrates Court: 'She was dancing on one leg, waving her arms around for about 40 minutes.' David Bengley, prosecuting, told the court that Thirsk had started to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) on the basis that she was 'virtuallly unable to walk and needed help to prepare a meal'. Roy Paul, DWP North West Fraud Manager said: 'It is our duty to ensure that benefit payments go to those who really need them and we are committed to cracking down on those who play the system. Dishonest: The 44-year-old, from Blackpool, had claimed more than Â£30,000 by claiming she was partially disabled Our welfare reforms are vital to close the gaps that cheats take advantage of. It is unfair that some people get support when they do not have a disability, while many people depend on the benefits system to provide a safety net. 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. Thirsk, from Blackpool, Lancashire, admitted five offences of failing to notify a change in her circumstances. She was given a 14-week suspended prison sentence and 12 months supervision yesterday Escaped jail: The benefits cheat was given a 14-week suspended prison sentence at Blackpool Magistrates Court yesterday