L test officials took bribes

D riving instructors and DSA driving test examiners took £1,000 bribes to pass failed candidates, a court has heard.

Nick Madigan, 38, and a second 47-year-old examiner, who cannot be named, handed learners test certificates, sometimes without taking them out on the road, jurors were told.

Instructors Salima Rashid, 49, Sofia Rasool, 40, and Jasvinder Rai, 36, allegedly put forward learners, including a police community support officer, who were willing to buy success at the Barking test centre Essex.  Snaresbrook crown court heard that police have yet to track down a group of "introducers", who approached failed test candidates - one of whom reported the racket.

Rashid, Rasool and Rai all deny conspiracy to commit bribery.  Rai denies a further count of conspiracy to commit bribery.  Madigan and the 47-year-old examiner are not before the jury. 

The trial continues.

Just 2 weeks ago we blogged you a story about a driving instructor fraud from Canvey in Essex.  Having failed her driving instructor examinations, Lisa Branston, 40, of Link Road, Canvey, set up her own Canvey-based driving school, but did not have a licence to teach people how to drive. 

How bad have things become when so called professionals need to resort to illegal actions to help people to drive on our roads.  What are your thoughts?