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.
TENNIS was a game made for three according to the first Victorian rule book .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
A couple celebrated tying the knot with a spectacular Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding reception .
FROM motorcycling to department store shopping these spookily faceless people are part of the Chinese-fad for wearing protective solar-visors in public .
Destroyed buildings and overturned cars are seen after a huge tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, May 20, 2013 .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
NATURE PAPARAZZIS prove you don't have to be Justin Bieber or Cheryl Cole to attract a pack of photographers .
A floating market in Indonesia is bursting with vibrant colours as wooden rowing boats loaded with fruit and vegetables crowd the river .
DINING under the stars, this restaurant takes you back in time - inside an ancient cave .
SPARKLING bright inside their box, it’s hard to believe these diamonds are made from the cremated remains of the deceased .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .