LESBIAN police officers are accused of lying to insurers about who was driving a car that crashed during a lovers' tiff – to save just £250.

Charlotte Eccles and Diane Reeves-Emery were in a serious relationship when they were involved in a road smash while having a heated argument.

But they are accused of lying about who was driving the Renault car – which suffered more than £3,000 damage – to evade paying the maximum £500 excess.

Eccles, 23, and Reeves-Emery, 38, whose ranks were not revealed in court, both deny obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Steven Redmond, prosecuting, said the alleged scam had only been discovered after the pair had separated two years later, in 2008, and made allegations about each other's conduct.

He said: "The two women fell into an intense argument concerning their relationship, during the course of which Eccles drove and crashed into a kerb.

"She caused rather lot of expensive damage."

Mr Redmond said that, shortly after the crash, Reeves-Emery called the insurance company and told them she wanted to make a claim, and that she had been responsible for the damage.

If Eccles, of Blueberry Way, Swadlincote, had been driving then there would have been a £500 excess to pay because of her age and lack of experience. But because of Reeves-Emery's age, they would have to pay only a reduced £250 excess if she was behind the wheel. The insurance firm sent out a claim form and the car was repaired, with an excess paid by the couple at the lower rate.

Mr Redmond said: "These matters only came to light about two years later, resulting from a serious breakdown in the relationship of the women.

"Things became very embittered between them. Each made allegations to police about the other's conduct.

"In August 2008, Eccles was speaking to the police about these allegations. She told them that she had something on her conscience she needed to tell them. She disclosed for the first time this deceit of the insurance company regarding the accident.

The prosecution claims that, during a police interview in February 2008, Reeves-Emery "let it slip" about the alleged insurance scam. During the hearing at Stafford Crown Court yesterday, Mr Redmond said that Eccles was "under the influence" of her partner and could not explain why she had gone along with the ruse.

Reeves-Emery, of Alexandra Road, Burton, admitted telling officers there had been a crash, but claimed she was talking about a separate one.

During a second police interview, after Eccles' confession, Reeves-Emery read out a pre-prepared statement in which she accused her former lover of "making mischief".

Reeves-Emery faces a second deception charge. It is alleged she gave false information to another insurance company days after the crash, saying she had not been involved in a road accident in the past three years.

The case continues.