Ecclesiastical Insurance has joined a group of leading companies to help tackle fraud which costs customers billions of pounds each year.

The specialist Gloucester-based firm has joined the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Association of British Insurers which has been operating since 2006 with the aim of detecting and disrupting organised fraud networks.

As the central hub for sharing insurance fraud data and intelligence, the IFB provides members with a database of fraud cases, as well as helping with investigations into fraudulent claims.

Membership comprises 60 of the most prominent insurers, service providers and solicitors in the UK, including Aviva, RSA, Zurich and AXA.

The IFB's new focus on general property and casualty insurance means the time is right for Ecclesiastical to join to work together on an issue which cost the industry £1.2billion in 2018.

Ecclesiastical managing director Richard Coleman said: "I'm really pleased to join the IFB and our colleagues from across the insurance industry to fight insurance fraud which costs companies, and ultimately customers, billions of pounds each year.

"Not only do insurance scams have serious consequences for victims, they increase premiums for legitimate customers, making insurance more expensive for everyone.

"We are committed to investing in fraud deterrents to help protect our customers and ensure that false claims are dealt with in the strongest possible means."