A man has been given a suspended jail sentence after admitting forging his wife's signature to obtain more than £56,000 in loan and insurance payouts.

Taxi driver and mechanic, Nicholas Pratt, blew the money on an "enhanced lifestyle" for himself and his family.

The Sunderland Echo newspaper reports that prosecutor, Martin Towers, said the allegations, dating back to 2002, related to two loans and a life policy.

In August of that year, the policy with Standard Life was encashed for £10,319.

Two loans were taken out with other companies later in the year for a total of £45,905.

Mr Towers said: "Where the paperwork for these transactions required two signatures, Mr Pratt forged the signature of his wife, Susan."

Mr Pratt, 46, from Haswell, was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

The problem of insurance fraud is to be highlighted in two television programmes this week - Honest on ITV tonight and Scams, Fiddles and Honest Claims on Channel 4 tomorrow.

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