Insider Media Limited

Sixteen people have appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court on charges of conspiring to steal £6m through a tax fraud targeting the construction industry. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the Crown Prosecution Service brought the charges.

The 13 men and three women appeared before magistrates and have all been bailed until 5 September to appear at Birmingham Crown Court.

They were arrested in September 2009 following dawn raids by HMRC investigating a multimillion-pound fraud believed to be operating across the West Midlands, Staffordshire, London and Manchester.

Adrian Farley, assistant director of criminal investigation for HMRC, said: "Sixteen people have been charged linked to what we believe is a fraud resulting in over £6m being stolen from public funds. We are committed to bringing such cases to the courts and depriving those involved of the proceeds of their crime."

During the arrests in September 2009, cash totalling £130,004 was seized - £91,600 from nine sites in the West Midlands and £38,444 from two sites in the Manchester area. A further £2,000 in dollars and euros were seized.

The defendants were summonsed to appear on charges of Conspiracy to Cheat the Revenue of VAT, Income tax, National Insurance Contributions and corporation tax and money laundering offences.

Ten of the defendants were from the West Midlands, two from Worcestershire, three from Staffordshire and one from Sheffield.

Investigations are also ongoing in relation to a number of other people arrested, said HMRC.

The defendants were named as:

West Midlands

* Bernard Harper (DOB 01.04.56) of 28 Causey Farm Road, Halesowen, West Midlands

* Craig Ross Hill (DOB 06.06.64) of 1 Raby Close, Tividale, West Midlands

* Stuart Henderson Barrett (DOB 20.07.57) of 47 Hillbank, Tividale, West Midlands

* Steven Lee Barrett (DOB 09.11.79) of 35 Woodside Way, Walsall

* Steven Jeremy Bache (DOB 31.01.62) of Cornerstone, 1 Leys Close, Stourbridge

* Anthony Smith (DOB 10.06.78) of 173 Mill Street, Brierley Hill, West Midlands

* Kelly Nicholls (DOB 30.05.78) of 173 Mill Street Brierley Hill, West Midlands

* John Caulfield (DOB 03.05.72) of 29 Barton Lodge Road, Hall Green, Birmingham

* Ian Siviter (DOB 08.10.75) of 149 Regent Road, Tividale, West Midlands

* Susan Coussens (DOB 29.01.59) of 1 Chestnut Close, Norton, Stourbridge, West Midlands

Worcestershire

* Simon Clifford Davies (DOB 12.05.68) of 205 Loxley Close, Churchill, Redditch, Worcestershire

* Neil Hughes (DOB 26.09.65) of 7 Linthurst Newtown, Blackwell Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Staffordshire

* Richard Ruddick (DOB 28.05.69) of no fixed abode

* Gary Lowndes (DOB 24.08.60) of 27 Weeping Cross, Stafford

* Helga Lowndes (DOB 29.12.65) of 27 Weeping Cross, Stafford

Sheffield

* John Beatty (DOB 11.07.68) of162 Western Road, Crookes, Sheffield