Is this Britain's worst family? Head of clan with 250 convictions stole sister's identity to net £85,000 in benefits

Dawn Shackleton, a 47-year-old serial shoplifter, boasted of holidays in the Mediterranean, owned a 52-inch plasma television and yet claimed she was short-changed by the state.

Even when she and her three children were evicted from their home after a 10-year campaign of terror against neighbours she insisted that it was they who were the real victims.

Scrounger: Dawn Shackleton, pushing a pram, with son Mark and daughter-in-law Cheryl Hall outside court today

But behind the pitiful statements Shackleton, whose youngest son was convicted of burglary aged 11, was paid thousands of pounds every year after stealing her sister's identity.

For more than a decade she claimed for income support, jobseeker's allowance, child benefit, housing benefit and council tax benefit - on top of the state handouts she was entitled to herself.

Unaware of the scam her sister, Julie Menzah, was thousands of miles away in Kenya, having moved there in 1989 after meeting her second husband while studying in Newcastle.

An analysis of computer systems revealed that between 1995 and November 2007, Shackleton was claiming benefits in her sister's name - adding the names of four children to get even more.

Investigators launched a probe after receiving a tip-off from a member of the public.

They contacted Shackleton's sister who confirmed she had only returned to the UK once in 1994.

Cheat: Shackleton used some of the cash to pay for a 52in TV

Mrs Menzah, a mother of five whose maiden name is Julie Karen Shackleton, said she had no idea her sister was claiming benefits using her name and had not used her passport since 1995.

Further investigations revealed Dawn Shackleton's fingerprints to be all over claim forms submitted in her sister's name, while handwriting experts concluded that she was almost certainly the one who had been filling them in.

Officers from the Department for Work and Pensions monitored the post office she used to make the claims and watched as she withdrew money from Mrs Menzah's account on three occasions.

Although investigators believe she pocketed more than £85,000 in bogus claims she agreed to plead guilty to eight offences of forgery and false representation crimes worth £40,000.

Until last year Shackleton, who has the names of her three sons, Gary, Mark and Paul Alderson, tattooed on her arms, lived in Benwell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

But after the Shackletons racked up 40 arrests between them in less than six months Shackleton, her children and partner, Colin Alderson, became the first in the area to be evicted from a private property in July last year.

Whilst Shackleton herself has a lengthy list of 21 shoplifting convictions to her name, her partner and her children's stepfather has criminal record stretching back 30 years and includes 21 offences, including attacking police officers, burglary and drunken disorder.

Her eldest son, Mark, is the most prolific of the three brothers with 92 convictions.

His criminal record dates back to 1994, when at the age of 14 he was convicted of burglary, vehicle interference, theft of a car and driving without a licence or insurance.

The 28-year-old also has a string of convictions for common assault and has spent time in jail.

His sibling, Paul, 26, was convicted of dwelling house burglary in 1993, when he was 12.

In 2000, he was found guilty of going equipped to steal, two counts of criminal damage, a public order offence, perverting the course of justice, breaching a conditional discharge and a string of driving offences.

Incredibly, Gary Shackleton is the only member of the family to have an Asbo.

The 21-year-old got his first conviction at the age of 11 for burglary and has not looked back since.

His offences range from being found on enclosed premises to possession of cannabis.

He became notorious for tearing around in stolen cars and hurling drunken abuse at passers-by.

Accepting their mother's guilty plea at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Michael Cartlidge said: 'I am granting you bail but you cannot take this as an assurance you  will not receive a custodial sentence.'

Shackleton will be sentenced later.