MEMBERS of a family made thousands of pounds after claiming to have been involved in several staged car accidents, a prosecutor alleged in a court today.

The trial of six people accused of making fraudulent claims as part of an alleged 'crash for cash' conspiracy began at Cardiff Crown Court.

Byron Yandell, 31, Rachel Yandell, 30, both of Queen’s Road New Tredegar; Peter Yandell, 52, and Michelle Yandell, 51, both of Wheatley Place, Blackwood, Gavin Yandell, 29, of Clos Claerwen, Blackwood, and Jennifer Cosh, 39, of Pontygwindy Road, Caerphilly, all deny charges of conspiracy to defraud. They face a total of 28 counts, relating to separate incidents surrounding alleged road traffic collisions.

The court heard how the Yandell family ran a repair centre called Easifix, based at St David's Industrial Estate in Pengam.

Christopher Clee QC, prosecuting, said: "This is a case about insurance fraud. Insurance fraud committed on a significant scale over a long period of time.

"It involved 87 different people coming together at different times to make false insurance claims in relation to road traffic collisions which in the great majority of cases, quite simply did not occur.

"It was a scheme which is sometimes called 'crash for cash'.

"At the heart of this scheme were members of the Yandell family."

Mr Clee said it was a "thoroughly dishonest scheme", where in some cases members of the family claimed more than £33,000 in damages after falsely claiming to be involved in car accidents with friends and other family members.

He added a "clear patter emerges" when the alleged accidents take place. Byron Yandell, Rachel Yandell, Peter Yandell, Gavin Yandell, and Michelle Yandell, claimed they were involved in 15 separate collisions in less than two years.

Mr Clee said if this was indeed the case, the family could claim to be the "unluckiest family in south Wales".

The court was told the emergency services did not attend any of the alleged collisions and that many of the vehicles had "dubious histories" and a high mileage count.

Of the total of 28 collisions, six occurred on Pengam Road, four on New Road in Oakdale, and seven happened on the A469 between Thornhill and Gilfach. The prosecution claims these are not coincidences but were fraudulent acts.

Judge Daniel Williams told the jury of seven women and five men that the trial is likely to last up to six weeks.

Proceeding.