A 39-YEAR-OLD man at the centre of a Mr Whippy 'crash for cash' fraud which involved a faked accident in Burnley has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Barry Mark Sandmann of Brompton Lane in Strood, Kent was sentenced at the Old Bailey for his part in the insurance scam.

It involved the Mr Whippy van being used to stage fake accidents across the country.

The ice cream van was identified as being linked to three separate fraudulent insurance claims, one on the outskirts of Burnley in August 2013, which, could have cost insurers in the region of £100,000.

A cheque for £15,400 from NFU Mutual for a separate fake accident in Bristol in November 2013 was paid to an address in Cog Lane in Burnley where the driver at the time claimed to live.

Sandmann pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday April 29 to conspiracy to defraud and fraud by false representation.

He was sentenced on Friday to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and to pay a £200 victim surcharge and given a 12 month supervision requirement.

Detective Constable Paula Doyle, from the City of London Police, said: “We’re still keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the ice cream van involved, or knows who owns it, as there are others involved in setting up this scam that we have not been able to identify. "