good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. five bulgarian nationals have been sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison after being convicted of the biggest benefit fraud ever in britain. the gang stole almost £54 million by making thousands of fraudulent claims for universal credit. the judge said they d systemically plundered the state s support mechanism to steal eye watering sums. our social affairs correspondent michael buchanan reports. taxpayers money thrown around like confetti by a multi million pound fraudster. the scale of the scam astonished investigators. now the gang behind it have been sentenced. the full story of britain s biggest benefit fraud can be told. prosecutors say thousands of people were flown from bulgaria to london, that ids were then used to make claims for the main benefit universal credit. police officers. when the fraudsters various premises were raided, investigators found an extraordinary amount of evidence. 900 mobile phones
coming up, the uk s first caribbean carnival set up to showcase west indian culture. we travel back over 100 years, to hear a witness to liverpool s 1919 race riots. we meet britain s first black female head teacher. and we re in manchester to discover a legendary nightclub that became a haven for the city s black and mixed heritage communities. but we start here in the city of bristol, where, in 1963, and 18 year old called guy bailey wanted to get a job working on buses like this one here. he secured an interview, but when he arrived, the bus company turned him away because he was black. now, despite this being racist, it was completely legal in the uk at the time. the treatment guy faced sparked a boycott of bristol s buses.
british history. coming up, the uk s first caribbean carnival set up to showcase west indian culture. we travel back over 100 years, to hear a witness to liverpool s 1919 race riots. we meet britain s first black female head teacher. and we re in manchester to discover a legendary nightclub that became a haven for the city s black and mixed heritage communities. but we start here in the city of bristol, where, in 1963, and 18 year old called guy bailey wanted to get a job working on buses like this one here. he secured an interview, but when he arrived, the bus company turned him away because he was black. now, despite this being racist, it was completely legal in the uk at the time. the treatment guy faced sparked a boycott of bristol s buses.
rights movements. these protests that happened. the company to change its policies but also page the way when it came to passing the race relations act of 1965 and 1968. the boycott was in 1963. the picture you are seeing is a big mural. he is a massive figure in the city of bristol. he had west indian parents. that is the picture from the west indian friends association. it is worth remembering. it was thought to be the first boycott of its kind in britain and he went on to found the commonwealth coordinated committee and setup the carnival in 1968. that committee still runs today. 1963, in some ways a long time actually
-aackae that. there s a more generous package available that. there s a more generous package available per- that. there s a more generous package available per bernie l that. there s a more generous i package available per bernie now including £200 of extra help was about one cover her full energy rise either but it will make a big difference when it arrives. greta smith, bbc news, in warrington. joining us from bristol is our reporter andrew plant. this is in the bedminster area of bristol this is in the bedminster area of bristol which hasn t fared particularly well over the last ten years particularly well over the last ten years a particularly well over the last ten years. a lot of shops closing in the last decade years. a lot of shops closing in the last decade. speaking to people here throughout the morning it s difficult throughout the morning it s difficult to find anyone who has not felt the difficult to find anyone who has not felt the squeeze on it household bu