A BID to get £15,000 for slipping on water in a Bradford supermarket is among false or exaggerated insurance claims being investigated by a crack police team.

Eleven people were today arrested across the country, including two in West Yorkshire, by detectives probing dubious personal injury insurance claims.

Dubbed the ‘trip and slip’ day of action, the operation by the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), a specialist police unit for tackling insurance fraud, was part of a national crackdown.

Sixty officers, including some from West Yorkshire Police, took part in the day of action, during which seven men and four women were arrested. Two of the arrests were in Heckmondwike and Dewsbury.

Four other people, including two from Morley and Dewsbury, were due to attend police stations later to be interviewed. The 15 people were aged between 20 and 60.

One of the cases being investigated by detectives is that of a £15,000 claim for ligament damage and injuries to a finger, reportedly the result of sliding on water in a Bradford supermarket.

A n £8,500 claim for injuries, allegedly sustained in a similar incident in a London canteen, is also under investigation.

The largest claim under examination is £200,000 for ongoing medical treatment supposedly needed to treat back and leg injuries suffered in a bus crash in Pakistan four years ago.

IFED took action following referrals from a number of insurers and the Insurance Fraud Bureau.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Wood, head of IFED, said: “Today’s ‘trip and slip’ day of action marks a major step forward in our nationwide investigation targeting people suspected of trying to con insurers with bogus insurance claims.

“It may seem like a quick and easy way to bolster your bank balance but the reality is that those who lie about injuries suffered in real or fictitious accidents can also expect an early morning knock at their door from IFED detectives.”

The Association of British Insurers says that insurance fraud now adds, on average, an extra £50 a year to the annual bill for every UK policyholder.