A gang that allegedly specialised in making false bike insurance claims and pocketing thousands of pounds in payouts have pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, reports said.

The gang from Weston-super-Mare, a court was told, often made false claims for the theft of non-existent bikes.

Five members of the gang appeared before the court and were named as: Andrew Hall, 34, of Brompton Road, Oldmixon; Jody Cowell, 28, of Monkton Avenue; Duane Long, 20, of Thirlmere Road, Weston; Mathew Potter, 25, of Londsdae Avenue, Weston; and  Liam Lees, 22, of Locking Road, Weston.

The court also heard that the underwriters for all policies purchased through Carole Nash was a firm called Groupama, based in Portsmouth.

Mr James Ward, prosecuting, said they became quite suspicious at what looked like an organised theft of off-road bikes in and around the Bournville estate in Weston-super-Mare.

But they discovered through investigation they were dealing with an insurance swindle connected to claims for non-existent off-road motorbikes, and not the theft of the bikes, he added.

Judge Jamie Tabor accordingly convicted all the accused persons, handing them penalties that ranged from curfew, unpaid work to the weekly payment of compensation.