NINE tradesman - including eight from Widnes - have been sentenced for trying to steal £300,000 in an organised tax fraud.

The men, who worked as subcontractors including painters, decorators, builders, and roofers, submitted false self assessment claims for repayments that were diverted through numerous bank accounts to try and disguise the fraud, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Monday.

They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade income tax.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) discovered unemployed James Roberts, 27, of French Street, was at the centre of the conspiracy.

He was found to have made 12 fraudulent amendments to his own tax returns and allowed his bank account to be used by other members of the gang.

Roberts tried to steal £46,986 and made numerous changes to his tax returns claiming work in construction.

He used his partner, Natasha Sinnott, 22, from Bootle, to launder some of the repayments.

Roberts was jailed for three years.

Sinnott was sentenced to four months suspended for 12 months for money laundering. She helped the fraudsters by allowing the stolen taxes to be moved through her bank account.

Steven Jones, 28, a subcontractor of Swinford Avenue, who tried to steal £26,170, was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years.

Subcontractor Stephen Edwards, 32, of Brandon, attempted to steal £22,672, received a 10 month sentence suspended for two years.

Kieran Rigby, 28, of French Street, who tried to steal £14,685, was sentenced to eight months suspended for two years.

Self-employed roofer Stephen Yemm, 34, of Cunningham Road, who attempted to steal £15,086, was sentenced to nine months suspended for two years.

Self-employed Gregg Carter, 26, of Davies Close, who did groundwork and tried to steal £12,266 was sentenced to four months jail suspended for two years.

Sub contractor Ashley Hughes, 26, of Lytham Road, who tried to steal £10,565, received an 11 month jail term suspended for two years. Contractor Scott Keegan, 27, of Lancaster Road was given a five months jail suspended for two years.

Sub contractor Patrick Molyneux, 31, from Maghull, who attempted to steal £45,456 was sentenced to 11 months suspended for two years.

Sub contractors James Rutherford, 31, from Kirby, and Vincent McCluskie, 45, from Seaforth, were sentenced on Tuesday.

Rutherford who attempted to steal £31,397 received a five month jail term suspended for two years.

McCluskie, who tried to steal £22,035, was given an eight year jail term suspended for two years.

The fraud was uncovered by the Income Tax Self-Assessment Repayments Taskforce which targets individuals who submit false income tax self assessment claims.

HMRC withheld many of the tax repayments when suspicious activity was detected on the self assessment online system and will now look to recover any remaining stolen tax using civil and criminal proceedings.