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.
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
A woman has shed half her body weight after undergoing a gastric sleeve op to shrink her stomach .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .
A mother-of-four has revealed how her daughter was stabbed to death by her ex partner, while their horrified children watched on .
A widow whose love rat ex-boyfriend left her homeless has had the last laugh after a judge ordered her ex to pay back £300,000 .
The sun is finally out, bringing a smile to many people’s faces – including this cute little dormouse’s! Grinning from ear to ear, this tiny dormouse appears to have been tickled by something as it clambered up this flower, basking in the sunshine, whilst having a little laugh to himself .
An eight-year-old boy who lost his legs and left hand to meningitis is standing tall after learning to walk on his prosthetic limbs .
STEPFORD wives from the 1950's and 60's are performing history's most sexist exercise programme .
WELCOME to what could be the world's tallest TOTALLY wooden construction .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
Walking down the street in her local town, heads turn as Jessica Villafane passes by .