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.
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
An Italian photographer travelled to the highlands of New Guinea where he met an Indonesian tribe untouched by the modern world .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
WONDERS of the world have been transformed into their mini-versions in a seven-year round the world adventure .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .
CAMPED out in the middle of a forest, these unusual hut hotels take you back to basics .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for this greedy camel he can't get enough of his morning feed, as he gate crashes his owner's mealtime .
MEET the little lion of suburbia with a mane that makes him look like a mini-king of the jungle .
