Direct Line accuses £3m claimant of fraud

Direct Line has accused a man from Dorset of fraud after the insurer paid him £3.4m, the BBC reports.

Noble, 43, received the payout after he claimed to be severely disabled in a 2003 road accident when a car knocked him off his motorbike.

Noble was awarded the money after Mr Justice Field in March 2008 ruled that Noble could no longer work and required daily care.

Direct Line arranged nine hours of surveillance after Noble's neighbours reported seeing him walking unaided, making him less injured than he claimed.

Noble claims innocence, but the insurer has gone to the High Court to try to recover most of the payout.

The Court of Appeal already agreed the case should be referred back to review the compensation, and Mr Justice Field granted a temporary injunction to freeze the £2.25m already paid to Noble.

Andrew Hogarth QC, acting for the insurers, said that surveillance showed Noble working on the roof of his garage. The hearing is expected to last for six days.