Woman jailed for £25,000 of loans

A banker who took out £25,000 worth of loans in her mother's name to fund a high-spending lifestyle has been jailed for four months at Norwich Crown Court.

Clare Hovell, 35, of Lambert Close, Weeting, Norfolk admitted four offences of obtaining money by deception.

Hovell, who worked at Barclays Bank, Brandon, between 1990 and 2006, asked for seven other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that she was previously a woman of good character.

Christopher Youell, prosecuting, said Hovell duped her mother into signing documents as she took out bigger loans.

Mary Cleaver, defending, said Hovell, who is a mother of three, lived a "lifestyle she could not afford to impress her friends" and suffered "low self esteem and depression".