Heywood man arrested in £1.6M fraud probe

A 29-year old man from Heywood is one of three men arrested in raids as part of an alleged £1.6m fraud probe into football club apprenticeship schemes.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said it is investigating Luis Michael Training Ltd (LMT), formerly based in Newport.

The defunct firm is being probed over alleged false claims, said the SFO.

SFO investigators together with officers from four police forces covering Gwent, South Wales, Greater Manchester and Merseyside searched homes and a business property in Southport as part of the inquiry.

A statement from SFO said LMT had been involved in the enrolment, assessment and verification for apprenticeships and NVQ programmes for young people working in community sport, mainly through football clubs and coaching companies.

It received funding via colleges for each apprentice enrolled and placed with an employer.

The colleges were, in turn, funded through a government scheme overseen by the Skills Funding Agency.

The period being investigated spans 2009-2011 and it is estimated that alleged fraudulent claims made to a number of colleges was in excess of £1.6m, said the SFO.

The men were due to be released on unconditional bail.