FORMER BROOKSIDE ACTOR ARRESTED IN SPAIN OVER £13.6M FRAUD

Philip Foster, a former Brookside actor, has been arrested in Alicante, Spain, by the Guardia Civil, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Friday. He is due to be extradited to the UK. Foster was sentenced in his absence at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025 to eight-and-a-half years in prison for conspiracy to defraud, having jumped bail before sentencing, which prompted a warrant for his arrest. He had featured on the NCA's "Most Wanted" campaign, run with the charity Crimestoppers, the Spanish Ministry of Interior and Spanish and UK police, and is the 102nd fugitive arrested since the campaign began.

The court heard that Foster masterminded a network of sham modelling agencies that operated for more than eight years, exploiting the ambitions of aspiring young models and their parents. A National Trading Standards investigation found that more than 6,000 victims paid for supposed paid modelling work but received only poor-quality digital photographs unsuitable for securing legitimate jobs. The agencies paid no tax and were repeatedly dissolved and rebranded after short periods of operation, National Trading Standards said. Eight associates were sentenced for the same fraud offence and for money laundering. Foster reportedly spent his share of the proceeds on high-end watches and cars while living in Marbella.

National Trading Standards director Wendy Martin said Foster's "cruel exploits left thousands of victims in serious debt, causing lasting emotional distress and significant financial pressures." Investigators said money from the scheme was laundered through UK bank accounts before being transferred to Spain or carried in cash on commercial flights by co-conspirators. NCA Deputy Director International Rick Jones said the arrest "demonstrates the continued success of the Most Wanted campaign" and credited the Guardia Civil for making it possible. Foster now faces extradition proceedings to return him to the UK to serve his sentence.