Crash-for-cash gangs on prowl

Criminal gangs are masterminding thousands of crash-for-cash cons across the West Midlands raking in millions of pounds, it can be revealed.

The region was today unveiled as the worst-hit area in the UK for the scams in which conmen deliberately cause car crashes by forcing people to smash into the back of them.

Organised gangs are sending recruits out on to the roads and then making whiplash claims through their own bogus No Win, No Fee insurance firms.

Gang bosses also claim for vehicle recovery and storage, sending the costs to innocent drivers spiralling.

Latest figures show there were 30,000 crash-for-cash crimes last year, with the West Midlands ranked as the worst hotspot. Nationwide, the practice is costing drivers over £350 million a year.

Police today revealed that they have come across some vehicles that have registered up to eight different fraudulent insurance claims.

They are currently probing one big case in Sandwell following a raid on a industrial yard.

In some cases, brake light bulbs have been removed from cars to make it difficult for victims to know that the vehicle is braking.

Phil Bird, director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau, said: "The crash-for-cash phenomenon sees criminal gangs orchestrating multi-million pound insurance scams up and down the country.

"Scams can include staged accidents, where vehicles are deliberately damaged to submit fraudulent claims, right through to induced accidents where innocent motorists are targeted by fraudsters who slam on their brakes to induce a rear-end smash."

Police say the fraud is difficult to detect because minor bumps do not require any police involvement.