Jamie Colwell, 51, hatched the scheme to flee the UK after he and his father, Brian, were convicted of a £1 million VAT scam.

He booked a flying lesson in Kent and convinced the instructor to land in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.

His dad, travelling separately, met him there and they fled to Malaga - but they were arrested less than six months later.

The father and son were arrested in May and extradited to the UK for sentencing, The Telegraph reports.

Jamie was jailed for five years and three months, and Brian, 74, was jailed for two years and eight months.

Both men were jailed for an additional six months for breach of bail.