John Doyle bought trucks and specialist plant machinery in the UK and Ireland through his business, Albion Trucks & Plant, before selling them on.

Albion Trucks & Plant was registered to a residential address in Blenheim Street, Vauxhall, with Doyle conducting sales through a business website. His activities were uncovered when a customer was unable to register their imported vehicle with the DVLA because no duty had been paid.

Doyle’s business bank account showed he had more than £3.2m paid into it between February 2016 and May 2017, but paid no VAT on the sales, and during this time he collected hundreds of pounds in unemployment benefits.

HMRC investigators found Doyle, who refused to answer any questions in interview, spent lavishly on trips to expensive hotels and restaurants, as well as shopping sprees.

At Liverpool Crown Court Doyle admitted VAT fraud and was sentenced to three years and two months in jail. He was also disqualified from being a company director for 10 years.

Tim Atkins, assistant director, fraud investigation service, HMRC, said: ‘Doyle lived the high life with the stolen cash, but the wheels have now come off and he is deservedly behind bars. He had the audacity to claim unemployment benefits while stealing taxpayers’ money.’

Report by Pat Sweet