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.
A host of websites that are almost twenty years old are collecting a cult following thanks to their retro appeal .
A photographer has travelled the length of the UK capturing lighthouses and their picturesque surroundings .
A northern potoo shows it is a master of disguise as it perches on a tree stump and blends into the bark .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
A SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .
A KITTEN'S teaparty and rat's playing dominoes are the bizarre creations by one of Britain's great eccentrics pictured in an incredible new book .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
CONTRASTING settings reveal some of England’s most beautiful landscapes in all their glory .
Sitting all alone on drift ice in the Arctic Ocean, this lonely little fella looks lost .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - MILEY MASH-UP: MILEY CYRUS’ naked wrecking ball vid has been lampooned in this side-spitting photo-mashup .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .