SEVEN drivers have been accused of conning insurance companies out of nearly £150,000 in a "crash for cash" scam.

The four men and three women allegedly conspired with a family-run repairs garage to fake car accidents and take home thousands in injury claims and write-off fees.

Stephen Pegram, 49, Nicola Rees, 48, Stephen Brooks, 45, Nicola Cook, 41, Matthew Davies, 33, Bethan Palmer, 28, and Adam Fear, 27, are accused of being involved in six separate insurance scams between 2009 and 2011.

Cardiff Crown Court heard yesterday they were involved in faking road accidents which were nearly all referred to the same repairs garage, Easifix in Pengam, Blackwood, South Wales.

The garage was owned by Byron Yandell and his wife Rachel, who along with Mr Yandell's father, Peter Yandell, featured on claim forms as victims in the road accidents. 

Christopher Clee QC, prosecuting, said the garage invented the accidents and falsified damage to the defendants cars.

In turn the garage would receive fees for referring the "accidents" to solicitors and courtesy car providers.

The defendants would then be given help in claiming injury fees and payouts for their "written off" vehicles.

The court heard emergency services were not called to the scenes of the alleged accidents, and all were reported to have happened within close proximity to the garage.

Police investigators analysed the surviving cars and found "inconsistencies" with the damage reported on claims forms. 

Mr Clee said: "This is a case of insurance fraud on a significant scale over a long period of time. 

"It was a well established, coordinated and dishonest scheme - a scheme that is sometimes known as 'crash for cash'.

"The allegations are that the defendants each dishonestly claimed to be involved in road traffic accidents with the view of obtaining money by way of compensation.

"The total paid out was in excess of £144,000."

Pegram, from Blackwood, Rees, from Bargoed, Brooks, from Cardiff, Palmer, from Newport, Cook, from Hengoed, and Fear and Davies, both from Pontypridd, all deny charges of conspiracy to defraud.

Palmer also denies an extra charge of perverting the course of justice. 

The trial continues.