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.
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
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 .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
BEAUTIFULLY lit by the dim glow of lanterns, a cave in Iceland is transformed into the perfect wedding venue .
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
USUALLY full to bursting, these London Underground stations stand silent and completely commuter free .
A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
MEET the little lion of suburbia with a mane that makes him look like a mini-king of the jungle .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .