FRAUDSTERS jailed for hijacking home phone lines to scam £50,000 are on the run.

Police are hunting for Peach Girling (pictured left) and Thomas Murphy (pictured centre) after they disappeared at the start of their crown court trial for fraud.  

Girling and Murphy were convicted and jailed in their absence at Hove Crown Court after they failed to attend court on November 10.

Fellow gang member Jamie Francis (pictured right), was present for the entire trial and was convicted.

Girling, 30, and Francis, 26, both of Midhurst Road, Eastbourne, and Murphy, 25, of no fixed address, were charged with dishonestly obtaining an electronic communications service with intent to avoid payment. Girling and Francis were also charged with possession of articles for use in fraud.
They were found guilty of all the charges by a jury at Hove Crown Court on November 21. Francis was jailed for three years. Girling, who was jailed for three and a half years, and Murphy, who was jailed for two and a half years, were sentenced in their absence. During the trial police continued to look for them.
Between December 2011 to March 2012 the trio broke into BT cabinets and hacked into more than 400 residential customers' phone lines. They made calls to their own allocated premium rate numbers to make thousands of pounds in profit, leaving the residents and the phone companies to foot the bill.
BT, Talk Talk and BSkyB became aware of large numbers of fraudulent telephone calls being made to international premium rate numbers from landlines in Eastbourne, Pevensey, Seaford and Tunbridge Wells and the pair were arrested.
Detective Constable John Steven said: "The men were caught after a detailed investigation by us, working with staff from BT.
 "We need the public's help to track down Girling and Murphy so they can serve their sentence alongside Francis.
 "If you have any idea where they are or where they could be please contact us." 
Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.