Bournemouth based Christopher Nash, 60, evaded almost £110,000 between April 2010 and April 2017.

HM Revenue and Customs investigators found that over seven years, Nash pocketed £49,000 in cash and cashed cheques totalling £199,000 from working on high-end construction projects in London.

Zoe Ellerbeck, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “As a self-employed builder, Nash knew of his responsibilities to pay tax and National Insurance Contributions.

“He was well paid for his services but he got greedy. Nash made a conscious decision to cheat the public purse but was caught out and is now behind bars.”

Nash admitted tax fraud and was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday.

Confiscation proceedings are under way to recover the money stolen by Nash.