Birmingham tops 'crash for cash' postcodes hotspots

Birmingham has topped the UK's "crash for cash" postcode league for the second time in a year.

'crash for cash' scams are run by fraudsters who manufacture collisions with other road users with a  view to profit from insurance claims.

The league table is compiled by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), Birmingham had 10 of the top 30 postcodes for the crime.

Top crash for cash locations in 2017

1. Birmingham
2. Bradford
3. Manchester
4. London
5. Oldham
6. Liverpool
7. Bolton
8. Sheffield
9. Wakefield

Out of Birmingham's 10 postcodes on the list. Washwood Heath, Aston and Small Heath were the three worst postcodes for the crime in the UK.

In Bradford, Frizinghall and Manningham came joint fourth for the numbers of fraudulent claims, while in Manchester the M8 postcode, which includes Cheetham Hill, was ranked sixth.

The data applies to the past 12 months. In total, there were 55,573 personal injury claims linked to scams in the UK, the IFB said, costing the insurance industry a total of £340m a year.

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