Four held in £5m benefits raids in West Midlands

Four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a £5m international benefits fraud.

Officers from HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) and West Midlands Police raided addresses in Tipton, Dudley, West Bromwich and Handsworth, in Birmingham.

Three men and a woman from Eastern Europe were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a tax credit and maternity fraud.

Adrian Farley, of HM Revenue and Customs, said it was particularly important to cut down on benefit fraud during "these times of austerity".