TEN men have admitted their part in a five month scam to illegally obtain driving theory test certificates from an Ipswich test centre.The men have been convicted of differing offences including attempted fraud and obtaining property by deception relating to the impersonation of other drivers at the Pearson VUE centre on Crown Street.

TEN men have admitted their part in a five month scam to illegally obtain driving theory test certificates from an Ipswich test centre.

The men have been convicted of differing offences including attempted fraud and obtaining property by deception relating to the impersonation of other drivers at the Pearson VUE centre on Crown Street.

It led the Driving Standards Agency to warn of the danger posed by the crimes, which took place between September 8 last year and February 14 this year and are understood to involve a number of other test centres across the country.

It is not known whether the men, all Iraqi Kurds, paid others to take the tests or took them on behalf of learner drivers.

All the men, aged between 22 and 33, admitted conspiracy to obtain property by deception when they appeared at Ipswich Crown Court last week. They also admitted several other offences.

They will be sentenced after the cases of six other men accused of taking part in the scam have been dealt with.

A spokesman for the Driving Standards Agency said: “Over the last three years this type of offence has increased - it is now on the scale of organised crime.

“The criminals who imitate candidates bring danger to our streets and roads. No-one should be driving alone unless they have proved they have reached test standard.

“We will investigate all complaints of impersonation vigorously and we will always bring prosecutions where we are able to do so.”

As well as admitting to conspiracy to obtain property by deception:

Omed Osman Ahmed, 30, of Lindop Court, Stoke-on-Trent, and Zana Ahmed, 22, of Clarence Road, Peterborough, admitted attempting to obtain property by deception on or before October 31 last year.

Ebdal Walayat Abdul, 23, of Stirling Avenue, Edgeware, London, admitted obtaining property by deception on or before September 8 last year.

Abus Mohamed Mahmud, 22, of Woodend, Wolverhampton, admitted attempting to commit fraud on or before February 14 this year.

Nouri Mahdi Ali, 32, of Shipley Rise, Newcastle, admitted obtaining property by deception on or before November 1 last year.

Ziyad Ali Rashid, 32, Jupiter Close, Leicester, admitted attempting to obtain property by deception on or before October 25 last year.

Hussein Sala Essa, 29, of Tollis Street, Manchester, admitted attempting to obtain property by deception on or before October 19 last year.

Namig Hakim Najeem, 33, whose address is not held on court records, admitted attempting to obtain property by deception on or before October 2 last year.

Ahmed Ibrahim Quadir, 33, of Queen Ann Street, Stoke-on-Trent, admitted obtaining property by deception on or before September 28 last year.

Farman Mohammed Tamer, 22, of Harrow Road, London, admitted obtaining property by deception on or before October 12 last year.

The six others accused of illegally obtaining theory test certificates entered no plea when they appeared in court last week.

They will all return to Ipswich Crown Court on December 14 when they will be asked to enter a plea.