Of lorry drivers owing money to the taxman. And what its like living with motor neurone disease. Hello. This week we are in the historic city of lincoln. Coming up, lorry drivers left with thousands of pounds of debt after they accountants disappeared. They have not forwarded anything. To the tune of £11,500. Also three years in the life of a man with motor neurone disease. And later in the programme two women, one british and one italian tell us their concerns as we prepare to leave europe. Over the past few years inside out has shown you some shocking tales of zero hours factory workers and poorly paid Parcel Delivery drivers. Now its lorry drivers across the country that had been left owing thousands of pounds in tax after the lincoln based accountants they used disappeared with the money. Lucy hester reports. I walked in expecting to get some driving jobs, i walked out of the office as a director of my own company with no problems at all. Thousands of drivers, like ian, get work through driving agencies, and are encouraged to operate as a limited company. Companies without assets, with only one employee. Their board room . Whatever cab theyre sitting in at the time. Ourjust in time economy needs Flexible Workforce and Agency Contractors fill a gap. The arrangement suits the agencies very well but what about the drivers . Anyone thinking about setting up a limited Company Needs someone do their accounts. The agencies for drivers weve spoken to all advised their clients to use the same lincoln based Company Think accounting. The lady at the Recruitment Agency said probably 75 of her drivers were registered with this think accounting. When i was having a little chat with the kid behind the counter ijust made a comment, tongue in cheek, asking was he on commission for introducing me to think accounting and with a bit of a laugh he told me i got £100. Paul had signed up for a discount vat scheme which think accounting looked afterfor him. Perfectly legitimate. A bit of extra money for being vat registered. So, let me get my head round how this flat rate vat scheme works, so if this is your weekly wage, say £100, youre allowed to charge 20 vat on that, arent you . Yeah. So effectively your £100 becomes £120. Correct. So then what happens . Half of that goes back to the tax man and i keep the other half. So your wage is now £110, and £10 to the tax man. But then think accounting took quite a hefty bit themselves, didnt they . Think accounting had been keeping hold of pauls portion of vat. When he asked for this, they sent him a bill for extra accounting services. Charging me things like Credit Control service £750, and that totalled 7000 odd pounds and i never saw a penny of it. Do you think you were naive to hand over your Business Affairs to someone like think accounting . No, i dont have any skills in accounting, im a lorry driver. Weve talked to accountants around the country who have inherited clients from think accounting they tell similar stories. When it comes to the flat rate vat which think accounting stole, and i say explicitly they stole it from the drivers, i took them to court on ten occasions, on nine occasions they actually paid, exactly these circumstances, the same thing. The tenth one, they got a county courtjudgement but they never ended up paying it. Worse was to come. Demands from hmrc for unpaid tax. My national insurance, corporation tax, vat, think accounting had not forwarded to the relevant parties to the tune of £11,500. Think accounting had been giving drivers a small weekly wage plus expenses and dividends so that they didnt have to pay tax. But hmrc saw this as a tax dodge. Ifelt embarrassed, i kind of brushed it under the carpet, didnt want to tell my wife, family. I was expecting bailiffs to knock at the front door. I was having panic attacks. The doctor gave me tablets. I thought prison, honestly thought prison. The drivers couldnt get their missing tax from think accounting theyd stopped trading. 0wner lee wilson had handed over to a new company, new wave accounting, same address, with director Symon Williams Cooke. Neither of them were accountants. It was an utter scam. Hmrc should have put a stop to it straightaway but what they are doing is prosecuting the people that cant defend themselves, the poor innocent victims, and they are making them pay the fine for the perpetrators, which stinks. Hmrc tell us they have an excellent record in supporting those in genuine difficulty and they urge anyone who cant pay their tax debts to talk to them, and theyll do all they can to help. In november 2015, new wave accounting changed their name again, to igloo accounting. Igloo closed down abruptly, clients were directed, without consultation, to another accountant. That accountant reported to the police. They passed the investigation to hmrc. Hmrc say its important that people thinking of using an agent to deal with their tax affairs understand what the agent is proposing to do on their behalf, particularly with less usual arrangements, such as a service company. Weve contacted some of the agencies involved. They say, they no longer recommend accountants, and they encourage drivers to be paye, not self employed. Paul paid his tax bill, but is going to a tribunal to try claim it back. Ian, after 2 years of tax demands, got a surprise a few weeks ago. Hmrc have cancelled his debt. Other drivers, ron included, are still being chased for the money. And theyre frustrated. We want to challenge lee wilson, the director of think. Ask him for explanation. A lot of people would like to talk to lee wilson and Symon Williams Cooke but they seem to have disappeared. This is lucy hester calling from bbcs inside out programme. We need to ask him. Weve tried family members, business links, and i even rang symons old mobile number. But the man who answers says hes not symon. Hes just put the phone down on me. Thats the second time this week hes done that. So no directors, but im following the money. These boxes hold think accountings bank statements. We cant look inside because of data protection. But since we started this investigation, hmrc have hired a forensic liquidator, who can look. They should be able to trace what think accounting did with the drivers money. Earlier this year Matthew Taylor produced a major report on how we work. Later this week hell discuss this with a select committee. Weve told him about the drivers experiences. One of the things we argued in our report is to move towards a system where we pay the same tax on labour. These cons then wouldnt make sense. How do you feel now about think accounting . Lower than a snakes belly, fraudulent, conmen, fly by nights, 100 . If youve got a story youd like to tell us about you can contact us on facebook or twitter. Coming up what does the future hold for these two women after brexit . Ian pratt has motor neurone disease. Three years ago he invited us to follow his battle with his illness. 0ur correspondence has been filming with him ever since. Hes recorded his battle to live as normal a life as possible with his wife and daughter whilst raising awareness of this deadly disease. Its 2014. At home, ian pratt is enjoying his birthday. But since 2012 birthdays have felt different, thats when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. I was a young father, with a healthy daughter, lovely wife, thinking i want to see her grow up. I was heartbroken. It was confirmation that i had this wicked disease. Ian, an australian whod settled in yorkshire, had always been active and healthy. We started filming with him in the autumn of 2014. He wanted to go public about his illness and its effect on the people closest to him. Two years after diagnosis, ians had to give up his job as an accountant. He finds it harder to walk, but his home has been adapted to help him move around. His illness is a mental as well as physical challenge. To be fair, we dont really think about whats coming. We think about how we cope with getting through today. I dont tend to think about how the disease will affect me in two years. Because its too destructive to do that. Its hard enough to be positive, to stay positive every single day and to enjoy everything youve got. If i thought about what was coming, then you would just want to end. What have you been doing . That looks wonderful ian and his wife catherine have Something Else to keep them busy, their daughter georgiana. Its just being as normal as we can for her. We go for walks, she rides her bike, i ride my mobility scooter. Catherines having to combine work, being a mum and coping with ians illness. I dont think about whats going to happen. I know whats going to happen, but i dont want to think about it. I have georgiana who needs to be looked after. I cant be crying in a corner somewhere. If i think about it, id be a bucket in the corner, crying. Have you ever really thought much further down the line when ian might not be here . It would be a different world. Its time for a hospital visit. Ians seeing his consultant. Hes started wearing a face mask at night to help him sleep. Its been working, pretty much in the main. Had it on most days. I have it on average at least five hours or so. Do you feel better for it . I do, definitely, ive got more energy. Ians noticed his symptoms are getting gradually worse. How do you feel otherwise . I dont notice the daily change but i notice at the end of the week. Its a disease where cells in the nervous system called the motor neurons get injured and die. They are the cells by which our brain controls our muscles and therefore all our movements. Ian has already had to face the fact that many muscles in his body have been affected, particularly difficult and distressing for ian because he has a young daughter who is the apple of his eye and he wants to be around to see her growing up. Since his diagnosis, ians helped run an annual swim at the isle of wight which has raised thousands of pounds for motor neurone research. Its a big night in barnsley the pride of barnsley awards. Ians been nominated for triumph over adversity. The winner is. Ian pratt. Applause ians won. Its time to get his award. It is motor neurone disease. It is terminal. Im going to die. Please go and look, find out for yourself, i want to dedicate this award to my gorgeous wife and my gorgeous daughter. I think it is very difficult, emotionally. For ian, lifes an emotional rollercoaster and christmas feels more special than ever. Georgiana is the virgin mary in her schools nativity play. Im very proud. It was fabulous. When i was diagnosed, i didnt think id get to see it. It was really special. Ians mum is over from australia. Its a chance to catch up on news about family and friends. When ian was born we travelled backwards and forwards and had cattle around the place. Kids used to help us do whatever we had to. He was a good boy. Im very proud of him for what hes done. And hell keep that going for as long as he possibly can. Doctors try to control ians symptoms, but theres no cure. Hes back at the hospital for tests. Hes having a test to check how his lungs are working. Blow it out for me. All the way. Keep it coming. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. All the way to the end. Fantastic. Ians lungs are working at 34 of their full capacity only a slight drop from last time. Next hes going to be weighed. Catherine lifts him across the room. Its good news hes put on weight. 58. 85. Yes its encouraging to know my breathing hasnt got worse, roughly the same as i was last time. Weight is up. Thats good. Generally its really good news. The weight needs to come up a bit more, but his breathing is stable. Morning, ian. Morning. A year has past, its Early Morning and ian is about to start his day, he needs two carers to help them get up. Can you feel that pulling . Yes. I feel like a puppet on a string. Ive been with ian just over two years. When we first started he was upstairs. He was able to come to a sitting position and walk to the bathroom. So hes deteriorated quite a lot in the last 12 months. Now five years have passed since diagnosis. Ian has done well. If you look at the average Life Expectancy from the first symptoms, its somewhere between two and three or four years. Probably. And ian has exceeded that timescale already. Whatever the future holds, its still clear that ian is fighting. Its been a challenging five years. I think we just keep making the most of what weve got. Most people dont get that opportunity with motor neurone disease. More than 30,000 eu nationals live and work in our universities. Some of them came under the erasmus scheme, which allows students to study abroad, and many stayed and made lives here. We follow the story of two women. One is italian living in sheffield and the other english and living and living in belgium. We ask what brexit might mean for theirfutures. Architect Cristina Cerulli came to england in 1994 from italy and settled in sheffield. Alison abrahams left sheffield for italy 14 years later and has settled in belgium. Both have made major decisions about their lives because of brexit. I wish the eu had a Repatriation Programme for people whove been caught by surprise by brexit. I came back to brussels the morning of the vote and my colleagues were hugging me and people were so emotional. Just suddenly everything i thought i knew was turned upside down and it felt a little bit destabilising. Its 13 years since cristina first began teaching architecture at the university of sheffield. This evening shes celebrating with her final year students for what might be the last time. Yes, i seriously am considering relocating following brexit and im exploring lots of options. Tonight cristina has her two daughters milla and ella with her. Both were born in yorkshire but are fluent in italian. I got an emailfrom the italian consulate this morning with the results of a survey that i took part in, italian academics working in uk universities 82 say they were planning to leave. And already 30 of eu academic staff at uk universities have left already. Alison abra hams works as amnesty internationals european media manager in brussels. Working here in the european union, i think sometimes, french and german people, think the european project is something more than an economic agreement. Its an ideal and i think for people this dream was being shattered. In sheffield, cristina and her husband mark run their own architectural practice. Today, jeremy abrahams, whos also the father of alison who lives in brussels, has come to take their photograph for his own brexit related project. This project is called remain leave, and its about couples, one of whom is a european citizen and the other is a british citizen, and as were all aware now those couples are potentially in a difficult situation. Next month jeremy will stage an exhibition of the portraits together with audio recordings of interviews hes conducted with the couples. I came here as an erasmus student. And i thought it was amazing and i never wanted to go back to florence. I always felt that Great Britain was much more progressive than italy was at the time. And now i definitely dont think thats the case anymore, i completely fell out of love with Great Britain. Cristina and alison, were both part of the erasmus scheme whereby students study abroad for a year of their degree. 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the eu funded project but there are fears about its post brexit future. It is worrying that in the survey the the British Council commissioned with ipsos mori there are 30 per cent fewer young people in france, germany and italy saying that they want to come to the uk to study. In reality nothing has changed but the negotiations are creating uncertainty. We would like the uncertainty to end as soon as possible. This morning alisons coordinating International Press coverage of a demonstration outside the Eu Commission hq against turkeys detention of ten human rights activists. It should be pretty big. Im hoping well see this on a few channels later including the bbc. But alison initially feared for her post brexit career. Why would you employ a british person when were just about to leave and who knows how long wed have the rights to work here . So following the leave vote alison, applied for belgian citizenship. After several anxious months waiting she finally heard. I really didnt know whether or not id get it. When i got that letter, i said to them am i belgian does this. . They said congratulations. I never thought i would have requested that nationality. I didnt need to, i was born in sheffield, grew up in the uk. Now my parents always joke weve got a belgian daughter. It feels totally surreal. Its the First Anniversary of the brexit vote and 400 miles away in sheffield, cristina and mark are working on a temporary building project commission with an artist and theyve made a big life decision. We decided to leave sheffield. And go to florence. We are exploring the feasibility of it. It will be a little bit like going back to where i started. But mark and the girls would be completely new because they have just visited. After a hectic week at work alison is on her way back to yorkshire on eurostar. Im on my way back to sheffield, its my mums birthday so im going to join the party. Alisons dad jeremy is still working on his exhibition which features cristinas portrait and opens next month. The two families meet up while alisons in sheffield. My my experience of florence, it felt like chaos. Over the summer cristina has taken a newjob at Sheffield Hallam university. And after a family holiday in italy theres been a reality check and their planned move there is on hold. We took an emotional decision. To cut ties. Weve put it off for at least a year. We are looking into how but we dont want to give up everything here for something that is going to be worse. For alison and cristina, erasmus was a life changing experience but it remains far from clear how easy it will be for the post brexit generation of students to follow in their footsteps. Hello there. Temperatures have been rising for many today. There is one weather to come up the next couple of days but also some windy weather. We are keeping a close eye on developments across the eastern side of the atlantic, unusual to see a hurricane here but that is what we have, a fully formed category to hurricane, 0phelia. It will have the potential to bring some very windy weather in western errors on monday. Ahead of the storm, we are