Man arrested on suspicion of fraud after Cheshire parish council bank account left 'virtually empty'

A man has been arrested after £163,000 disappeared from an idyllic Cheshire village parish council.

Audlem Parish Council's bank account was left "virtually empty" following a number of suspicious transactions.

Cheshire Police say is it now investigating, and a 34-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of fraud on 9 September 2022.

Following his arrest, officers say a vast amount of material and electronic devices were seized from his home, which is now being examined. The man has since been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Police say the investigation is expected to take several months, and is encouraging residents not to speculate.

The financially-stricken parish council posted an update on the community website, Audlem Online, entitled 'Moving On' in which it conceded it was "facing challenging times".

It added: "In July this year, it became apparent that approximately £163,000 appeared to have been fraudulently removed from the Council's bank account leaving it virtually empty.

"We employed a forensic accountant to investigate, and notified the police and Santander Bank who are all engaged in attempting to ascertain what has happened to the funds.

"We are still awaiting the outcome of their investigations with no indication how long that will take."

Audlem is near Nantwich and has a population of around 2,000 residents.

Residents are asked to pay a voluntary fee for festive decorations at Christmas, including paying for Christmas trees to be hung on almost every shop and building in the village centre, and a main Christmas tree on the village square.

The annual tradition is for Santa to arrive by canal boat.

The parish council is now looking to employ a permanent clerk to "enable us to continue our normal council activities".

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