Pressure on police resources as Serious Fraud Office convictions rise

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enjoyed an above-average year by securing convictions of 11 of the 12 defendants prosecuted last year, its annual report has shown.The levels are an improvement on the SFO's average 68% success rate since the office - which investigates and prosecutes complex and high-value fraud charges - was set up 12 years ago.Last year's cases included that against Alan Whittingham, the Bournemouth solicitor convicted of false accounting in June, and Barry Bayley, a Devon solicitor connected with a 7 million advance fee fraud perpetrated by a client.

They were sentenced to two years' imprisonment and 80 hours' community service respectively.

The record 81 cases currently under way at the SFO include the ongoing trial of three persons from a law firm alleged to have defrauded the Legal Aid Board.

Reporting restrictions apply to the case.SFO director Rosalind Wright said she was concerned about 'the ever-increasing attrition in police resources both in terms of numbers and experience available for our cases'.

Jeremy Fleming