A court case has revealed that Mohammed Patel aged 24, took commissions from car owners to stage accidents in their cars, thereby enabling them to file inflated insurance claims.

Many motorists driving behind Patel were put at risk when he would suddenly apply his brakes at roundabouts causing the following car to slam into him. He tended to select lone elderly drivers as he believed they would cause less fuss.

To assist his scam, he would often disengage the brake lights on the car he was driving so that the “victim” would have no warning of impending danger and would be more prepared to think themselves at fault.

The owners of the cars Patel drove then claimed there were several people in the car who suffered whiplash injuries and the damage to the car was exaggerated. The court heard that around £17,000 was claimed for each accident and Patel admitted to 93 staged accidents - but in practice there were more.

So if you are involved in a similar accident or are suspicious about any accident you are involved in, inform your insurers and they will investigate and, if necessary, get the police involved.