A BEARSDEN man has been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to £50,000 VAT fraud.

Robert Gray admitted the fraud at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into his financial claims regarding his printing company.

Investigators found that between October 2011 and August 2013, the 60-year-old submitted a string of false VAT returns to HMRC.

The fabricated information triggered VAT repayments which he was not entitled to.

On sentencing Gray, the sheriff presiding stated that he had “carefully planned” his actions.

The Sheriff further stated “that a community pay back order would not act as a suitable deterrent”.

On issuing a two year prison sentence, the sheriff stated that had it not been for the fact that Gray had earlier pled guilty and repaid a substantial amount of the money to HMRC, the sentence would have been three years.