Benefit cheat Mary Tapping, who falsely claimed more than £10,000, has asked for a curfew to be lifted so she can go to cathedral meetings as part of her work editing a diocese magazine.

Mary Tapping, 64, of Horse Road, Hilperton, who edits Sarum Link, was given a three month electronically tagged curfew and a 12 month community order, last month for falsely claiming benefit between February 2009 and November 2011.

Tapping has appealed the sentence, which bans her from being out after 7.30pm, and her legal team have asked Swindon Crown Court for the curfew to be postponed until the appeal has taken place on April 24.

“She edits the diocesan magazine in Salisbury. There are a lot of late nights and later afternoon meetings,” said Stephen Ritter, defending.

“Often by 7pm she is still in Cathedral Close or in the office before she goes home. She has been breached twice by G4S for not being home.”

Judge Euan Ambrose said there is no provision in law allowing the curfew to be lifted until an appeal.

He said: “Whatever the mitigation, it is the second time she has committed this type of offence. A short period of curfew seems relatively merciful."

In March, Tapping was convicted of two counts of failing to notify a change in circumstance to Wiltshire council and the Department for Work and Pensions .

Between February 2009 and November 2011, Tapping was overpaid £4,757.51 in council tax benefit and a pension credit overpayment of £5,635.88.

She made a joint claim for benefits with her partner in February 2009 and received council tax benefit.

But an investigation found her husband had been working since 2009 earning more than £30,000 a year which had not been declared to the DWP or Wiltshire Council.

Lucinda Herklots, Diocesan secretary, said: “We are aware of the recent conviction but we are completely satisfied with Mary’s work in the part-time position of Sarum Link editor.”

Since her conviction, Tapping, has repaid around half of the £10,393.39 total overpayment. Costs of Monday’s failed application will be considered at Tapping’s appeal.