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Secret Millionaire leaves claims agents in limbo
Tony Hetherington, Financial mail
13 September 2009, 3:18pm
Two hundred credit advisers who paid to become local agents of a compensation claims company linked to TV's Secret Millionaire Chek Whyte face an uncertain future after he was declared bankrupt with debts of £30m.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the company's only director had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.
Barrington Whyte Consumer Credit Services, which also calls itself Credit Compensation UK, is licensed by the Ministry of Justice to help victims of overcharging by banks and insurance companies.
The York-based company has held meetings at Whyte's country mansion in Leicestershire, where would-be agents are wooed.
For £1,695, plus a further £86 a month, they can operate and advertise under the company's name.
Victims of financial services mis-selling are charged £495 for help with reclaiming bank charges or insurance premiums, and the agent keeps £200 while the balance goes to the company.
The business is halfowned by property developer Chek Whyte, who starred in Channel 4's Secretmaire programme, visiting Salford to give away thousands of pounds to good causes.
Whyte was declared bankrupt two weeks ago after failing to pay money owed to a Manchester furniture company. It was then revealed that he owed taxes estimated at severalm pounds.
He has been bankrupted at least twice before, originally under the name Anthony Beardsley.
He is currently serving a ten-year ban that prohibits him from acting as a company director because of misconduct in the Nineties.
Mark Hodgson, who is the sole director of Whyte's consumer advice company, denied that his bankruptcy had affected trading. 'We were not even aware of it until three days later,' he said.
But he added: 'We do not know what will happen to Chek's shares. He is 50% owner and I assume this will go in the bankruptcy.'
Hodgson himself was a director of Century Mortgages Limited, which was shut down nine years ago after a Department of Trade investigation.
He was arrested last January over the collapse of Challenor Property Developments and has been freed on bail while inquiries continue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWkvmqds7xo
Tony Hetherington, Financial mail
13 September 2009, 3:18pm
Two hundred credit advisers who paid to become local agents of a compensation claims company linked to TV's Secret Millionaire Chek Whyte face an uncertain future after he was declared bankrupt with debts of £30m.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the company's only director had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.
Barrington Whyte Consumer Credit Services, which also calls itself Credit Compensation UK, is licensed by the Ministry of Justice to help victims of overcharging by banks and insurance companies.
The York-based company has held meetings at Whyte's country mansion in Leicestershire, where would-be agents are wooed.
For £1,695, plus a further £86 a month, they can operate and advertise under the company's name.
Victims of financial services mis-selling are charged £495 for help with reclaiming bank charges or insurance premiums, and the agent keeps £200 while the balance goes to the company.
The business is halfowned by property developer Chek Whyte, who starred in Channel 4's Secretmaire programme, visiting Salford to give away thousands of pounds to good causes.
Whyte was declared bankrupt two weeks ago after failing to pay money owed to a Manchester furniture company. It was then revealed that he owed taxes estimated at severalm pounds.
He has been bankrupted at least twice before, originally under the name Anthony Beardsley.
He is currently serving a ten-year ban that prohibits him from acting as a company director because of misconduct in the Nineties.
Mark Hodgson, who is the sole director of Whyte's consumer advice company, denied that his bankruptcy had affected trading. 'We were not even aware of it until three days later,' he said.
But he added: 'We do not know what will happen to Chek's shares. He is 50% owner and I assume this will go in the bankruptcy.'
Hodgson himself was a director of Century Mortgages Limited, which was shut down nine years ago after a Department of Trade investigation.
He was arrested last January over the collapse of Challenor Property Developments and has been freed on bail while inquiries continue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWkvmqds7xo
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