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.
ALL IS not as it seems in these deceptive cityscapes .
AN American accountant has grown the world's biggest MELON and smashed his way into the record books with his mammoth 350 .
NOT YOUR everyday selfie, this plucky diver poses with some of the scariest predators in the ocean .
From a floating jelly fish to a relaxed seal, Britain’s unappreciated beach life is captured above and below the water .
LOCATIONS bursting with vibrant greens and chestnut browns, these photographs capture the peaceful English countryside in all its glory .
Meet the human CCTV: a PCSO with a memory for faces so sharp he has apprehended more than 130 suspects in the last year alone with his eagle eyed talents .
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
A chipmunk, with his cheeks full to bursting, has no intention of leaving with an empty stomach .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .