Latest news with #Mayfair-based
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Paedophile Rolf Harris' Berkshire mansion put up for sale two years after death
EXCLUSIVE: The riverside property, in Bray, Berkshire, is being quietly marketed by Mayfair-based estate agents Benson International, with an asking price of £4million Rolf Harris' mansion home has been put up for sale, two years after his death. The riverside property, in Bray, Berkshire, is being quietly marketed by Mayfair-based estate agents Benson International, with an asking price of £4million. Rolf's only child Bindi inherited it and most of his £16million estate. A source told the Mirror: 'Bindi was seen emptying the property about a month ago. She wants to sell it, but she doesn't desperately need the money and is in no rush, so she's determined to hold out for a good price. Potential buyers have already begun viewings.' Rolf died of neck cancer at the house aged 93 in May 2023. His wife Alwen, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's, died in August last year. He was jailed for five years and nine months in July 2014 after being found guilty of a dozen indecent assaults against four young girls. His crimes, some of which occurred inside the house, took place between 1968 and 1986. In one instance Harris reportedly sexually assaulted one of his daughter Bindi's friends, who was between the ages of 13 and 19 at the time. He was accused of performing a sex act on her there while his daughter slept in another room. Rolf, who was born in Australia, had been living there for more than six decades after rising to fame in his early 20's when he began performing a regular ten-minute cartoon drawing section in children's show Jigsaw. The house was designed in line with his childhood house on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, where he learned to swim before becoming a national junior backstroke champion aged 15. It was renovated ahead of his release from jail in 2017, with workmen seen replacing a large patio at a cost of more than £10,000. And the front drive, which is overlooked by a horsehead, was also dug up and the back garden was revamped. Speaking about the property, our source said: 'It's a massive plot in a very desirable area on the banks of the Thames, so there's bound to be interest. 'But it remains to be seen if its past and notoriety may put some people off. 'Anyone who can afford the asking price clearly has plenty of money, so it's very likely they'll knock the current house down and build a new modern property on the land.' Benson International describe themselves as a 'premium property specialist operating in the heart of London advising clients internationally with assets in the UK'. Their website adds: 'We are a private office who have worked alongside clients with discretion for many years.' They were contacted for comment.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nigel Farage gets NatWest payout over debanking row
NatWest has paid Nigel Farage an undisclosed sum to settle a high-profile debanking dispute after his Coutts account was closed because of his political views. The Reform UK leader and MP, who only last month said he was considering bringing criminal proceedings against the bank, said in a joint statement with NatWest that the issue was 'resolved and settled' and that the bank had apologised. Nick Candy, the billionaire property tycoon who last year renounced his Conservative Party membership to become Reform's treasurer, played a central role in resolving the row, according to sources. Mr Farage and Mr Candy use the same law firm, Mayfair-based Grosvenor Law. Mr Farage's settlement ends the long-running saga which erupted in 2023 and led to a national scandal over debanking. NatWest, which owns Coutts, initially claimed Mr Farage's account had been closed for commercial reasons but it was later revealed comments in support of Donald Trump and what Coutts claimed were 'xenophobic, chauvinistic and racist views' had been a factor in the decision. Mr Farage said the claims were an 'appalling slur' Internal messages handed over to Mr Farage by NatWest later that year also showed that staff referred to him as a 'crackpot' and an 'awful human being', while one said: 'The money I'd have paid to have been the agent ringing him to tell him [that he had been debanked].' A dossier held on Mr Farage by NatWest ran to thousands of pages. The fiasco led to the exit of NatWest's former chief executive Dame Alison Rose, who at the time was the most senior woman in UK banking. Dame Alison had admitted to being the source of an inaccurate BBC story that claimed Mr Farage's accounts were shut for not holding enough money. She admitted a 'serious error of judgment' in speaking to the journalist at a charity dinner about the matter. A report by law firm Travers Smith subsequently found that although NatWest acted within the law in closing Mr Farage's account there had been 'serious failings' over the incident. The saga, which led Mr Farage to claim that he was the victim of an 'establishment stitch-up', triggered a major political firestorm. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a review into how banks treated politicians amid claims some have struggled to open accounts, as well as a review into the scale of the general debanking problem. Although it found that most cases of debanking were because of fraud or sanction risks, the treatment of customers came under scrutiny. The Treasury last year put forward fresh legislation to force banks to give customers three months' notice and a detailed explanation if they wish to close their accounts. Mr Farage has been left angry about the debacle ever since, last year arguing that 'there has been no change of culture at the bank whatsoever. He said: 'They are paying out £350m in bonuses to the same people who abused me. I am left feeling that my efforts with this organisation have been in vain.' It is not known how much he has now settled for, although Sky News said he was originally expected to seek millions of pounds from the company due to alleged damage to reputation. Sky News also reported that Mr Farage has withdrawn the threat of potential civil and criminal proceedings against NatWest over the issue as a result of the settlement. Mr Farage did not respond to further requests for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Nigel Farage gets NatWest payout over debanking row
NatWest has paid Nigel Farage an undisclosed sum to settle a high-profile debanking dispute after his Coutts account was closed because of his political views. The Reform UK leader and MP, who only last month said he was considering bringing criminal proceedings against the bank, said in a joint statement with NatWest that the issue was 'resolved and settled' and that the bank had apologised. Nick Candy, the billionaire property tycoon who last year renounced his Conservative Party membership to become Reform's treasurer, played a central role in resolving the row, according to sources. Mr Farage and Mr Candy use the same law firm, Mayfair-based Grosvenor Law. Mr Farage's settlement ends the long-running saga which erupted in 2023 and led to a national scandal over debanking. NatWest, which owns Coutts, initially claimed Mr Farage's account had been closed for commercial reasons but it was later revealed comments in support of Donald Trump and what Coutts claimed were 'xenophobic, chauvinistic and racist views' had been a factor in the decision. Mr Farage said the claims were an 'appalling slur' Internal messages handed over to Mr Farage by NatWest later that year also showed that staff referred to him as a 'crackpot' and an 'awful human being', while one said: 'The money I'd have paid to have been the agent ringing him to tell him [that he had been debanked].' A dossier held on Mr Farage by NatWest ran to thousands of pages. The fiasco led to the exit of NatWest's former chief executive Dame Alison Rose, who at the time was the most senior woman in UK banking. Dame Alison had admitted to being the source of an inaccurate BBC story that claimed Mr Farage's accounts were shut for not holding enough money. She admitted a 'serious error of judgement' in speaking to the journalist at a charity dinner about the matter. 'Establishment stitch-up' A report by law firm Travers Smith subsequently found that although Natwest acted within the law in closing Mr Farage's account there had been 'serious failings' over the incident. The saga, which led Mr Farage to claim that he was the victim of an 'establishment stitch-up', triggered a major political firestorm. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a review into how banks treated politicians amid claims some have struggled to open accounts, as well as a review into the scale of the general debanking problem. Although it found that most cases of debanking were because of fraud or sanction risks, the treatment of customers came under scrutiny. The Treasury last year put forward fresh legislation to force banks to give customers three months' notice and a detailed explanation if they wish to close their accounts. Mr Farage has been left angry about the debacle ever since, last year arguing that 'there has been no change of culture at the bank whatsoever. He said: 'They are paying out £350 million in bonuses to the same people who abused me. I am left feeling that my efforts with this organisation have been in vain.' It is not known how much he has now settled for, although Sky News said he was originally expected to seek millions of pounds from the company due to alleged damage to reputation. Sky News also reported that Mr Farage has withdrawn the threat of potential civil and criminal proceedings against Natwest over the issue as a result of the settlement.
