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.
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
ALL IS not as it seems in these deceptive cityscapes .
This hungry white tiger has just one thing on her mind - to taste fresh meat .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
A diver explores the crystal clear waters of the Silfra canyon in southern Iceland, which is the only place on Earth where you can dive or snorkel between two continental plates .
Suspended FIFTY metres in the air, this is the last place that you would expect to find a fine dining experience .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
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 .
AIRPORT staff have been put on alert after diet pills that come in grenade shaped containers sparked security alerts .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
