A Suffolk couple have been accused of a string of fraud offences relating to building work on properties across the county.

Gary Middleton (also known as Alan), 41, and his wife Katie Middleton, 31, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The couple, from Thurlow Close, Saxmundham, are alleged to have committed fraud by making false claims about the estimated timescale, standard or care with which work would be completed.

A number of the charges also allege the price of work included VAT which neither Gary Middleton nor the business were registered to receive, and that he and the business had insurance cover with the Federation of Master Builders when they possessed no such policy.

Gary Middleton has been charged with 14 counts of making false representations to acquire payment for building work between 2015 and 2019.

He is also charged with one count of making false representations about his marital status to acquire a mortgage, one count of obtaining credit without disclosing his status as an undischarged bankrupt, and one count of operating a company as an undischarged bankrupt without the leave of the court.

He denies all the charges and is due to face trial at Ipswich Crown Court at the end of this month.

Katie Middleton is jointly charged with six counts of making false representations to acquire payment for building work.

She was also charged with one count of making false representations to acquire a mortgage, one count of making false representations to a social housing association to acquire a loan to buy a property and one count of falsely declaring that her husband had left their address to obtain a council tax discount.

She is also charged with two counts of encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence, by engaging in business without disclosing Gary Middleton's undischarged bankrupt status and incorporating a business when Gary Middleton was an undischarged bankrupt.

She admits making false representations to acquire a mortgage but denies all other charges - alleged to have taken place between 2017 and 2019 - and will face trial alongside her husband later this month.

The trial is scheduled to begin on March 30.