A mother is due to appear in court accused of lying about her address to obtain a place for her 5-year-old son at a leading state school.

Mrinal Patel, 41, from London, is thought to be the first parent prosecuted for school application fraud under the Fraud Act. She is accused of fraud by false representation after council officers found the address she used did not match council tax records.

Mrs Patel applied to the popular Pinner Park First School in Harrow, North London, which received 411 applications for the 90 available places this September.

Harrow council said it allocates places to children living closest to the school, up to a maximum distance of 0.685 miles.

The council said it was prosecuting her reluctantly, but that the admissions system had to be seen to be fair to all parents.

Mrs Patel is due to appear at Harrow’s Magistrates’ Court on Friday 29th May accused of false representation under the Fraud Act 2006.

She said she made the application in good faith and denies fraud. This month she told reporters she was using her mother’s address following difficulties with her husband, but had now moved back into the family home.