A fraudster who got hundreds of people illegally off their speeding tickets has been jailed for 7 years. Colin Lowndes set up an operation where people would pass him their Notice of Intended Prosecution and he would complete them with fictitious names and addresses. The fictitious motorists were then fined, but when bailiffs sought to enforce the fines they would find that there was no one living at the address. The scam enabled Lowndes to live a lavish lifestyle including a rented Porsche.

Lowdnes, 41 also kept meticulous records of his transactions. This was bad news for those who had passed him his NIPs. Some 250 people have been arrested and some have been given jail terms or suspended sentences. During the investigation, police officers also discovered that he was involved in an extensive credit card fraud.