TWELVE people have been convicted of fraud following a pet insurance scam.

The Calderdale defendants were sentenced in connection to a £344,786 scam which was run by Danielle Exley, who worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance (RSBI).

Exley, 27, of Holywell Green, used her inside knowledge relating to the administration of pet insurance to carry out further fraud on the Royal Sun Alliance (RSA).

Once the fraud was discovered RBSI managed to stop a number of cheques. In total, cheques to the value of £344,786 were raised with actual loss to the company totalling £274,787.

She was assisted by five of her co-accused in the submission of false claims backed by forged documents from veterinary surgeries.

RSA paid out cheques to the value of £69,386 in false claims.

The fraud was uncovered in June 2011 when RBSI discovered false claims had been submitted and that Exley was responsible. The fraud had been carried out from May 2009 to June 2011.

Yesterday at Leeds Crown Court Exley was sentenced to two years for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Co-accused Nicholas Ward, 30, of Holywell Green, was sentenced to 14 months for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Simon Lilley, 39, of Sowerby Bridge got 16 months for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Duncan Smithies, 31, of Southowram, got nine months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Garry Mulcahy, 25, of Holywell Green, was sentenced to nine months, suspended for 12 months for conspiracy to defraud RBSI.

Scott Roper, 35, of Sowerby Bridge, was sentenced to nine months, also suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Paula Taylor, 28, of Halifax, got a 12 month community order for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and conspiracy to defraud RSA.

Gemma Ford, 28, of Siddal in Halifax, was handed a 12 month community order for conspiracy to defraud RBSI.

Pippa Wright, 25, of Halifax, got a 12 month community order for conspiracy to defraud RBSI.

William Young, 30, of Holmfield got nine months, suspended for 12 months for conspiracy to defraud RBSI.

Andrew Noctor, 27, of Sowerby Bridge, got a 12 month community order for conspiracy to defraud RBSI and Stephen Prag, 32, of Halifax got a 12 month community order for conspiracy to defraud RBSI.

Det Insp Andy Howard, of West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Exley and her co-accused carried out an organised crime during which they defrauded both the Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance and the Royal Sun Alliance by falsifying pet insurance claims.

“Exley used her trusted position with RBSI to use inside knowledge to allow her to make these claims.

“In being convicted for this abuse of trust, she will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison and we want to use this case as a warning to others involved in this type of crime – that the police and insurance companies work together closely to catch offenders and put them before the courts.

“We will now be seeking confiscation orders for all of those convicted. When a criminal has profited from crime we have the power to seize any available assets such as houses, cars, cash and other belongings.”