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 little clownfish opens its mouth to reveal a blood sucking intruder living on its tongue .
Full of tired and busy commuters, these underground stations are rarely admired for their architecture or beauty .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
This may look like a monster car engine that will leave petrol heads in a spin, but it is in fact a rather snazzy looking COFFEE MACHINE .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
WITH the phosphorescent blobs and mesmerising patterns, these spectacular images may look like the hall marks of an enchanted forest but it is in fact the scene of thousands of dancing FIREFLIES .
SOARING at 112 miles per hour through the air, this petite blonde certainly lives up to her title as the fastest flying woman in the world .
STOOD side by side next to a busy road, these buildings were once bustling with life .
A small Indian monkey is seemingly gob-smacked after reading the latest stock market news .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .