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.
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .
Fishermen in Myanmar have perfected an unusual fishing technique by carefully balancing on one leg .
A British photographer has captured the beauty of London in a stunning series of landscapes shots .
A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
Here's a APPY solution that should brighten up a wet weekend away camping - a wood powered stove that also recharges your smartphone .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .