Man cleared of cash-for-crash charge

A ROTHERHAM man has been cleared of involvement in a crash for cash scheme which saw a group of fraudsters falsely claiming for a string of staged collisions, including a 26-man bus crash.

Liam Howden (25), of Brinsworth Hall Avenue, was one of three men acquitted by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court this week of being part of operations worth £500,000 involving claims handling company in Sheffield called City Claims 4 U.

The fraudsters staged several crashes in Rotherham, Sheffield and Halifax between January 1 and July 31, 2011, including a spectacular stunt in Burngreave in June 2011.

They filled a single-decker bus with their own passengers and the driver deliberately crashed at slow speed into a Vauxhall Zafira.

Police and ambulance staff attended the scene but the Vauxhall was nowhere to be seen.

Afterwards, 26 fraudulent claims were made by fake passengers on the bus for similar whiplash-type injuries.

On Wednesday, four people from across the UK were convicted of conspiring to defraud insurance companies following a six-week hearing.

A further seven had already admitted their part in the scheme.

Anyone affected by the crash-for-cash scheme can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 422 0421.