The mastermind behind Cumbria’s biggest ever “cash for crash” insurance fraud has been jailed for seven years.

Carlisle Crown Court had heard how Carlisle man Mark McCracken felt he provided a service to willing participants.

He was sentenced today at the end of a three-day hearing before a judge, which also involved 34 of his criminal associates.

The court heard how 48-year-old McCracken, formerly of Wigton but now living at Sandsfield Park, Carlisle, hid behind multiple fake identities as he organised fantasy car crashes to justify claims.

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McCracken worked with four Carlisle car dealers and garage owners – Peter Farish, 44, Duncan Pape, 53, Wigton man Stuart Bell, 36, and 43-year-old Richard Miller, whose business is in Blencogo.

Their offences – which they all denied – involved fake car hire and storage charges.

A father of eight children – three with his current partner – McCracken was ashamed and wanted to put his offending behind him, the court heard.

Representatives for Stuart Bell, of Deer Park, Wigton, Duncan Pape, of Wigton Road, whose business is on Willowholme Industrial Estate and Richard Miller, of Springfields, Wigton, whose business is at Blencogo, had said they fear for their businesses if they are sent to jail.

The judge jailed Bell for two years, and sentenced Pape to 15-months and Miller to 18 months.

Sentencing McCracken, Judge Peter Davies said: "The total sum defrauded from insurers on these 13 crashes was £306,678.

"That figure does not take into account fraudulent claims that were not met because they were repudiated by insurers after intervention by fraud investigators and latterly by the police.

"The frauds were conceived, planned and operated by Mark McCracken. He also employed car recovery businesses run by Bell, Pape and Miller and car hire providers including Peter Farish.

"The scheme was fraudulent from the outset: simple in its conception, but sophisticated and elaborate in its management and organisation."