³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The owner of a bus firm and his three sons have been found guilty of claiming tens of thousands of pounds for bus pass journeys which were never made.

Express Motors owner Eric Wyn Jones and sons Ian Wyn Jones, Keith Jones and Kevin Wyn Jones, claimed money back from Gwynedd Council for fake journeys using over-60s bus passes.

One card had been used 23,000 times, Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

All four denied charges of fraud but were convicted by a jury.

Eric Wyn Jones, 77, from Bontnewydd, Ian Wyn Jones, 53, from Penygroes, Keith Jones, 51, from Llanddaniel and Kevin Wyn Jones ,54, from Bontnewydd, were also found guilty of putting more than £500,000 in cash through their own bank accounts without paying tax.

Claims were made for the fake journeys to the council which paid Gwynedd-based Express Motors and then claimed the money back from the Welsh Government under the all-Wales concessionary travel scheme.

The jury was also told how one card was swiped after its owner had died.

Eric Wyn Jones had claimed they had "no need to fiddle" but the jury rejected this.

Judge Timothy Petts said: "You have been found guilty of serious offences in relation to the fleecing of the local authority by submitting fraudulent claims, and conspiring to launder money from Express Motors.

"It's clear that there can only be one sentence for offending of this nature, and that is a custodial sentence."

The men, and a fifth defendant - bus driver Rheinallt Williams, 44, who had already pleaded guilty, will be sentenced at a later date.

A Gwynedd Council spokesman said: "This was an extremely serious case which involved significant sums money being fraudulently obtained from the public purse."