French police have arrested a British man over an alleged château scam in which €16 million is believed to have disappeared. We spoke to some of the investors who have been left with no money and broken dreams.
The news broke in France at the beginning of May that the British businessman behind the Halcyon Golf and Spa Retreat in Creuse, central France, had been arrested in Spain on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.
His business partner in the holiday venture, based at Château de la Cazine in the village of Noth, is still being sought.
The French fraud squad, assisted by Europol, estimates that €16 million of funds from investors has been funnelled into offshore bank accounts.
Much of the investment came not from large firms but from private individuals, many of them British, who had lump sums to invest and wanted to get involved in the ambitious project - which involved renovating the 18th-century château and building a golf course, spa and private cabins in the grounds.
