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.
FROM a Kung-Fu professional to a mini incredible hulk, these are the babies you wouldn't want to mess with .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
FINALLY catching a meal, a pair of great white egrets fight over their dinner .
ROLLING up snow in its tiny paws, this little squirrel is looking for a snowball fight .
FLOATING effortlessly on his back, this little otter laps up a rare glimmer of English spring sunshine .
SAT ON top of a Brazilian turtle’s head, this little ladybird looks content as he studies his environment from a new height .
Fishermen in Myanmar have perfected an unusual fishing technique by carefully balancing on one leg .
Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
Full of tired and busy commuters, these underground stations are rarely admired for their architecture or beauty .