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Ken Thorne Group - the investigation continues

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X-Ray production team X-Ray production team | 17:07 UK time, Monday, 8 February 2010

This evening X-Ray returns to its long-running investigation into the collapse of, and subsequent criminal inquiry into the Ken Thorne Group.

The car sales chain, which operated outlets across south Wales, shut suddenly in September 2002 with the loss of 240 jobs and owing £6m to creditors.

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ken_thorne.jpgIn its time the Ken Thorne Group was a high profile brand. Publicly spearheaded by Thorne himself, but ultimately run by two of his sons, the group sponsored both Cardiff City football club and the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team.

X-Ray first realised all was not well in early 2002 when it received complaints from dozens of the firm's customers.

When at the time X-Ray asked Mr Thorne's son Nigel to explain these complaints, he told the show: "We're not going to satisfy all the people all of the time."

After the business collapsed a criminal investigation into its dealings resulted in the convictions last year of Nigel and his brother Andrew Thorne.

Now the Serious Fraud Office is looking at the lifestyles of the pair to see if any of their assets can be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

'Biggest headache'

Steven Hay from Cardiff Trading Standards recalls his involvement with the company.

He tells reporter Rachel Treadaway Williams: "They were the biggest headache we've had during the time I've worked in Cardiff which is over 10 years now.

"We visited there over 40 times in total but I always felt that they weren't really improving in the way they were dealing with customers so we as Cardiff Trading Standards approached the Office of Fair Trading and together we were carrying out a significant investigation."

But then the business went under and Cardiff Trading Standards were inundated with calls for help from customers.

"We set up a hotline straight away," recalls Mr Hay, "and we had just about 700 calls in a short period of time.

"Some people lost huge money, we estimate the problems totalled to over £1m for consumers."

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ÌýWith the help of South Wales Police, Paul Brinkworth and his team at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) spent six years delving into the case.

"It was a very big task," says Mr Brinkworth. "During the course of investigation we recovered 60 boxes full of documentation."

He says the business crashed because it "ran out of cash".

"The directors were withdrawing per month £5,000 to £6,000 each, and there were six directors, principally the Thorne family members and quite simply the group couldn't possibly sustain withdrawals at that level."

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Ìý'Blatant dishonesty'

Mr Brinkworth says the SFO looked at all members of the Thorne family.

"What we quickly found out that in months leading up to collapse Ken had taken more of a back seat.

nigel_thorne.jpg"We were ultimately able to prove criminal charges against Nigel Thorne who'd been responsible for day-to-day running of Ken Thorne World of Cars, and Andrew Thorne who was a manager at the Ken Thorne Motor Village in Gorseinon, Swansea.

When the case came to court in 2009, Nigel Thorne was found guilty of obtaining money by deception and theft. The judge remarked on his 'blatant dishonesty', lack of remorse and refusal to co-operate with police inquiries.

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Andrew ThorneKen Thorne is now reported to be living in Dubai.ÌýIn the meantime, son Nigel is serving three-and-a-half years in prison and Andrew Thorne has a nine-month suspended sentence for theft.

Although a total of £6m has disappeared from the books of the Ken Thorne Group, the criminal convictions only account for £500,000.

(Images of Nigel Thorne, above, and Andrew Thorne, left.)

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Let us know below if you've been affected by anyÌýof theÌýissuesÌýcovered in this story.Ìý

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