UK insurers record 2,500 fraudulent claims a week - with 'slip and trip' the fastest growing

British insurers came across some 2,500 fraudulent claims every week last year, industry data released on Tuesday by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) showed.

According to the ABI, the number of fraudulent claims for the year stood at 160,000, a 6% increase from 2014, with over half of those claims related to car accidents. However, the so-called "slip and trip" claims and other claims for injury supposedly related to negligence were the fastest-growing crime last year, with the number of claims up by 30% compared to 2014.

The industry body said the detected fraudulent claims amounted to a total of £1.3bn ($1.7bn), but warned fraudsters were increasingly likely to get caught.

"The chances of getting caught have never been greater, and the consequences, such as a prison sentence and difficulty in getting future insurance and other financial products, have never been more severe and long-lasting," said James Dalton, the ABI's director of general insurance policy.

Last year £40m in compensation over motor and property claims was paid out each day, the ABI added, while travel insurers paid out a combined £370m over the course of the year. In total, UK insurers contributed £29bn to the country's gross domestic product.