£1.5m Scrap Metal Gang Jailed

Six members of a Staffordshire-based crime gang who fraudulently claimed to be trading internationally in scrap metal in order to claim £1.5 million in VAT refunds have been jailed today. Two other gang members were sentenced in May 2010.

The fraud bank-rolled the lavish lifestyle of its principal player, Stafford man Michael Bostock.

He drove a fleet of performance vehicles including a Mercedes McLaren, a Ferrari Scaglietti and a Lamborghini Gallardo and lived in a property valued at £1.4 million – all funded at the expense of the British taxpayer.

Gary Lampon, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for H M Revenue & Customs said: "The gang, led by Bostock, operated a network of companies that supposedly traded internationally in large quantities of scrap metal. They created false paperwork and claimed to move consignments of nickel, tin and copper between UK scrap metal yards and later from Austria to the UK, in order to claim back VAT they weren’t entitled to.

"The sophistication of the fraud led to a lengthy and complex investigation but we will not be deterred from pursuing those behind such crimes in order to bring them before the courts. We will now be seeking to reclaim the proceeds of the crime, and I would urge anyone who has information about those involved in this type of activity to call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 500."

Northumberland Firm's Exports Galloping Ahead

A North East firm producing high-quality horse bedding products has seen its exports to the Gulf galloping ahead with the help of UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Virtual Export Manager initiative.

Bedmax Ltd, of Belford, Northumberland, has developed its BEDMAX shavings from British pine trees. The timber is screened and sterilised to produce a dust free, 100 per cent natural bedding for all types of stable horses.

Since its launch in 2000, it has become the bedding of choice for many leading racecourses in the UK as well as a growing number of trainers in the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong. It is also used by veterinary clinics and hospitals, studs and breeders and professional competitors in every equestrian field from show-jumping to polo and endurance riding.

However, keen to ensure it was making the most of opportunities in overseas markets, the company contacted UKTI and has made good use of a wide range of services including Gateway for Global Growth (G3) and the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS).

International Trade Adviser Jeff Sanders worked closely with the company to develop and implement an export strategy and more recently it has signed up to the Virtual Export Manager (VEM) initiative to focus on opportunities in the Gulf, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Through VEM the company was teamed up with James Rundell, an experienced equine specialist in the UAE, who has used information supplied in the OMIS report to develop new business in this market.

UK First For Costain

Costain has become the first construction company in the UK to achieve BS11000 status.

Being awarded the British Standard for Collaborative Business Relationship Management Systems, means that an organisation has demonstrated that it accurately assesses both itself and potential partners in terms not just of technical attributes but cultural 'fit'.

Costain's longstanding 'team player' approach to doing business with companies made it an ideal candidate for the standard, which was only introduced in autumn 2010.

The Company decided to adopt BS11000 partly because of its increasing network of relationships with major clients and supply partners and partly because it realised that the new standard chimed closely with the Choosing Costain strategy, said Business Improvement Director, Tony Blanch.

(CD)