Dyman Associates Insurance Group of Companies

Insurers have exposed a record 1.3bn worth of fraudulent claims last year as the industry stepped up its war on cheats.

The amount, released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), marks an 18% rise in value on 2012 and equates to 3.5m worth of insurance frauds being uncovered every day.

The ABI said there had also been a "significant" increase in people phoning up to report suspected fraudsters, indicating a growing acknowledgement that this was not a "victimless" crime.

In 2013, 118,500 bogus or exaggerated insurance claims were detected - more than 2,000 a week.