Seven people have been jailed for a total of ten years and eight months over a multi-million pound illegal fuel operation involving a Bradford company.

Derek Little, 34, director of Cullingworth-based Euro Commodities (UK) Ltd, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to evade excise duty on hydrocarbon oils. He admitted the charge.

HGV driver Gary Briggs, 29, of Holden Road, Wibsey, Bradford, has been given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 250-hour community punishment order after pleading guilty to conspiracy to evade excise duty on hydrocarbon oils.

Paul Kelly, 41, of Northern Ireland, also a company director at Euro Commodities (UK) Ltd, will be sentenced at a later date after being found guilty of conspiracy to evade excise duty on hydrocarbon oils.

Leeds Crown Court heard the seven men ran one of the largest illegal fuel operations in England. It could have cost the taxpayer more than £2 million in lost excise duty and VAT.

The gang, whose operation centred on the distribution of illegally imported mixed oil, together with the theft of hundreds of thousands of litres of petrol and diesel from one of the UK’s largest oil refineries, were caught by HM Revenue and Customs.

Peter Hollier, of HM Revenue and Customs, said: “This case is one of the largest fuel fraud operations uncovered in England in recent years.

“Not only were these criminals out to defraud the Government by attempting to avoid paying duty and VAT but they were preying on honest members of the public.

“Motorists were paying the full price for sub-standard or stolen fuel at one of the many filling stations supplied with illegal fuel by the gang.”

Little and Kelly used their company to organise and fund the plot.

The men, together with Spanish-based businessman Paul Hewett, 52, of Frimley Green, Surrey, arranged deliveries of significant amounts of illegal fuel from across Europe to Euro Commodities premises, from where it was then shipped to petrol stations, fleets and haulage companies.

Briggs collected stolen fuel on behalf of Kelly and Little and, along with the base oils, supplied customers of Euro Commodities.

James Green, 61, of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was sentenced to three years for conspiracy to steal.

Russell Green, 36, of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, received a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years, a 300-hour community punishment order and ordered to pay £55,200 within three months under the proceeds of crime act for conspiracy to steal.

Denis Bardwell, 62, of Billericay, Essex, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to steal and money laundering.

Manickavasauan Surenthiran, 47, of Ilford, Essex, received eight months in prison suspended for two years and a 100-hour community punishment order for conspiracy to fraudulently evade excise on hydrocarbon oils.

Charanjeet Singh Sra, 56, of Osterley, Middlesex, received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a 250-hour community punishment order and was ordered to pay £95,000 within six months under the proceeds of crime act for conspiracy to evade excise duty on hydrocarbon oils.

Hewett is to be sentenced at a later date for conspiracy to fraudulently evade excise duty on hydrocarbon oils.