Officers arrest 137 after motoring scam

Officers investigating a nationwide motoring scam have arrested 137 people in two weeks.

The scam centres on people who have avoided convictions for motoring offences, including bans ,by making false nominations, or causing false information to be provided to police on their behalf.

It is estimated the hundreds of motorists have avoided about 2,000 penalty points being endorsed on to licenses with £40,000 in fines remaining unpaid.

Between Monday 7 June 2010 and Friday 18 June 2010, 137 people were arrested for perjury offences.

Sixty one were given a police caution, the remainder remain on police bail pending further inquiries.

Sgt Mark Beales, of the Road Crime Unit, said: "At the time of the raids I promised we would be proactive in identifying the culprits responsible, both for the scam and for taking advantage of it.

"The fact we have arrested so many people is testament to that promise and as we continue our investigation I anticipate further arrests will be made.

"People all across the country have taken advantage of the scam which, had it continued, would have seriously undermined the road safety system and that is why we are determined to ensure those who have shown such a blatant disregard for the law and who put the lives of other motorists and pedestrians at risk are held accountable."

566 false nominations have come from within the Greater Manchester area with a further 70 false nominations being detected in 21 other force areas.

A total of 636 false nominations were submitted between 31 August 2006 and 2 April 2010.

On Tuesday 25 May 2010, eleven homes in Tameside and Gorton were raided by police and two men, aged 39, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

They have been bailed until December pending further inquiries.