Oldham named 'crash for cash' hotspot

Neighbouring Oldham has been named as one of the top ten hotspots in the country for "crash for cash" claims by insurance group Aviva.

Research showed Leeds and Bradford Oldham were also in the top 10 hotspots for 2015.

Manchester featured in Aviva’s 2014 Top 10 hotspots table, but dropped out of the top 10 areas for crash for cash in 2015.

The figures include induced accidents, where innocent motorists are targeted, as well as staged accidents, when two damaged cars are brought together to make it look like an accident.

The biggest crash for cash scam in the UK involved a gang making bogus claims worth £132,000.

Recently, gangs have targeted bus passengers to claim thousands in alleged whiplash injuries.

The number of induced accidents in 2015 fell by 2% compared to a record high the previous year, Aviva said.

However, there was a 40% year-on-year drop in the number of staged accidents, which was attributed to the introduction of more stringent measures around taking out a policy.

Tom Gardiner, head of fraud at Aviva, said: "Induced accidents now account for nearly half of all organised motor fraud we detect.

"Crash for cash does not just push up premiums for genuine customers, it puts innocent motorists at risk.

"It is also a significant drain on scarce public resources such as ambulance, police and A&E time, all of which are wasted on these entirely bogus claims."

The top 10 crash for cash locations in 2015:

1. Birmingham
2. North London
3. East London
4. Leeds
5. Harrow
6. North West London
7. Bradford
8. Luton
9. Coventry
10. Oldham