A man who conned tax officials out of £34 million and funded a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and restaurants has been jailed for one of the longest sentences in British criminal fraud history. Thomas Scragg, 56, was jailed for a total of 17 years following three separate fraud convictions against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ~ the latest, in March 2011, for stealing millions of pounds in employee PAYE tax. The conman from Solihull, West Mids. used his business Moya Payroll which managed staff wages of construction industry companies to steal over £26m in tax over a five year period between 2002 and 2007. Other investigations revealed a further £8m of stolen PAYE tax in a 10-month period from April 2007 to February 2008.His co-defendant, Paul Phillips from Derbyshire, was jailed for nine years.The latest conviction for offences in March 2011, followed a joint investigation by West Midlands Police and HMRC.The extent of Scragg's racket has remained a secret until now as cases against his two henchmen Carl Johnson, 49, and his brother Anthony, 51, from Wolverhampton progressed through court.
A puppy bit off more than he could chew when he stole a six inch Chinese spare rib from his owner and swallowed it WHOLE, Cheeky Staffordshire bull terrier Rossi had his life SPARED when he underwent a life-saving operation to remove the bone from his stomach after swiping part of the takeaway meal .
GLAMPING is taken to a whole new level in the form of the luxurious Pop-Up Hotel .
THIS is the EXPLOSIVE moment when a 50 metre high pylon came crashing down to earth in a rural field .
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .
These uninvited guests ELEPHANTLY make their annual trip through the reception of this welcoming lodge .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
A family of foster carers are facing bankruptcy and homelessness after they signed up to a Government scheme to renovate their house to be used for disabled children's short breaks .
