AN error by the Crown Prosecution Service could lead to a case being reopened — four years after 12 gang members were jailed.

The mistake came to light after 37-year-old Nasima Esa was convicted of falsely claiming £23,000 in benefits in October last year.

Esa, of Anson Street, Astley Bridge, was jailed for her part in an international credit card fraud and kidnapping conspiracy four years ago.

The benefit fraud relates to the same period.

Eleven other gang members were also jailed for their parts in the fraud, which was uncovered when they kidnapped and tortured a rival gang member in a row over cash.

They had run a sophisticated debit and credit card-cloning operation at the BOC garage in Manchester Road, Bolton, and BP Stax 24 garage in Wigan Road, Atherton — where Esa worked.

Esa was jailed for two years and six months and ordered to pay a “nominal fee” by His Honour Judge Mark Brown following the trial at Liverpool Crown Court in 2008, where the 12 accused were found to have stolen around £334,000 from the bank accounts of almost 1,000 people in Bolton. But at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, it was disclosed an error meant Esa co-owning a property in London with her husband was not mentioned in the original trial.

Now, the CPS want to re-open the case, which could see Esa being forced to pay £83,000 — her share of the property.

Robert Golinski, defending, said: “The defendant is obviously troubled that a case in which she gave full disclosure in Liverpool and which she was given a nominal order, would be opened.”

Kenneth Grant, prosecuting for the CPS, said: “It has been admitted an error was made.”

Judge Ainsworth adjourned the case until June 22.

In June 2010, The Bolton News revealed Esa, and her sister Anisa Mallu, who was also jailed, were employed as home care workers for Carewatch, which is commissioned by Bolton Council to provide care to vulnerable and elderly people in the town.

They had been employed under a scheme called New Chance, which helps find jobs for rehabilitating offenders.