Thames Valley Police has referred Noel Edmonds' case against Lloyds Banking Group to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), following a criminal investigation into a former Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) banker that led to the liquidation of the TV presenter's Unique Group of businesses.
The so-called Reading Fraud saw six people being jailed over a £245m loan fraud which took place in the Reading branch of Bank of Scotland during 2003 to 2007.
HBOS employees Mark Dobson, Lynden Scourfield, and other agents that worked alongside them - but not within the bank - were found guilty of pushing business customers into distress or failure by referring clients to turnaround companies and loading them with unmanageable debts and fees.
Former Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds received an apology from the banking group for the distress suffered due to HBOS sending Unique Group into administration, after it was placed under control of the appointed shadow director Mark Dobson; who was a manager at HBOS.
Following 2009, Lloyds Banking Group acquired HBOS as a result of the acquisition the CPS will also have to consider whether there is a public interest in holding the corporate body criminally responsible on top of the individuals related to the HBOS scandal.
Lloyds Banking Group became the legal entity responsible for the behaviours of the whole group including past criminal behaviours and other past misconduct that could result in fines or criminal liability.
A spokesman for Edmonds said: “Noel’s case was re-investigated by Thames Valley Police, which have passed it onto the CPS to decide whether it is in the public interest to go to a full trial.”
They added: “There are lots of leading parliamentarians leading the work to expose this with the All-Party Parliamentary Groups and SME Alliance.”
Edmonds is a “substantial funder” of the All Party Political Group on Fair Business Banking.
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson responded: "Both parties will continue to assist the ongoing Thames Valley police investigation into matters relating to Unique Group and HBOS Reading.
"Both parties also agree to place their trust in the independent inquiry chaired by Dame Linda Dobbs, which is considering whether issues relating to HBOS Reading were properly investigated and appropriately reported to the relevant authorities by LBG, following its acquisition of HBOS in 2009."
A CPS spokesman confirmed: “We are considering a file of evidence in relation to an allegation of fraud and will make a decision in due course.”
Noel Edmonds has previously spoken of the massive toll the fraud took on him - even saying he considered taking his own life after his Unique Group collapsed.
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