A school run taxi boss has been jailed for six years following an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

An investigation was launched after David Park, 73, from Jealott’s Hill, Warfield, Bracknell, and his company Berkshire Education Travel Ltd Bracknell bought a £3.8 million mansion.

At the time he was the director of Berkshire Education Travel Limited and was providing home-to-home taxi services for Wokingham Borough and Bracknell Forest councils.

Matthew Moignard, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “David Park is a tax cheat who chose to line his own pockets rather than pay the tax that he knew was due. The money he stole robbed our vital public services of much-needed funds.”

The taxi director invoiced the local authorities some £777,000 in VAT for the taxi services provided, with more than £697,000 being paid by Bracknell Forest and £79,000 by Wokingham Borough.

Park failed, however, to pay the tax to HMRC and kept the money.

Moignard added: “Anyone who wishes to report suspected fraud to HMRC should search ‘Report Fraud HMRC’ on GOV.UK and complete our online form.”

Park was arrested on November 24 2016 when he was charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue and one of transferring criminal property.

The jury heard that he used a substantial proportion of the monies paid to his company to buy a £3.8 million property in rural Berkshire.

Park and his company was found guilty of cheating the public revenue between November 1, 2010 and November 1, 2016 – charged Wokingham Borough Council and received VAT payments of £79,510, which they knowingly failed to disclose to HMRC.

He cheating the public revenue between November 1, 2010 and November 1, 2016, charging Bracknell Forest Borough Council and received VAT payments of £697,809, which they knowingly failed to disclose to HMRC.

Park also transferred criminal property contrary to Section 327 of the Proceeds Of Crime Act 2022 between July 7, 2011 and Setember 28, 2016.

He and his company denied charges but after a trial at Reading Crown Court on September 2 2022 but were found guilty and sentenced on October 17 2022.

He has also been disqualified from being a company director for seven years.

HMRC is now seeking to recover the stolen money through confiscation.