A Beckton man has been handed a suspended sentence for his part in a ‘crash for cash’ scam.

Yousaf Haider, of Tansy Close was given two years in prison, suspended for two years, at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday.

He had previously been found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to defraud following a trial at the same court.

The 45-year-old was part of an organised gang of six who attempted to defraud the UK insurance industry of around £5.6million.

The investigation into the gang found that they operated a claims management company that submitted fraudulent or inflated insurance claims.

The gang would recruit drivers willing to hand over their cars to be deliberately crashed into and it was driven in convoy with a second vehicle until a suitable victim was identified.

The cars would then position themselves in front of the victim’s car and break hard, causing their victim to crash into the back of the vehicle.

Det Chief Supt Paul Rickett, of the Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “This was an audacious criminal act, carried out by unscrupulous people who deliberately targeted other road users, often vulnerable drivers, in order to defraud their insurance companies.

“They appeared not to care that their reckless acts placed other road users at the risk of serious injury.”

The other gang members all received jail terms or suspended jail terms for their role in the scam.

Afaq Anjum Njum, 36, of Bayden Avenue, Salford, Lancashire and Jalid Hanadzai, 24, of Gaydon Lane, Barnet, were both jailed for two years, while Mohammad Farshad Samoon, 28, of Evelyn Avenue, Barnet, was sentenced to three years.

Muhammad Akik Miah, 38, of Exeter Road, Hounslow was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and Samoon Baryali, 39, of Evelyn Avenue, Barnet was sentenced to five years in his absence as he failed to appear for sentencing.