McCann 'fraudster' arrested at hotel

A businessman whose firm helped to look for Madeleine McCann was arrested after a hotel manager recognised him as an alleged fraudster wanted by US authorities.

Kevin Halligen, 48, had been staying at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford for several months under an assumed name. He was arrested there on Tuesday following a discrepancy over his hotel bill. The manager had seen a report last weekend concerning the alleged fraud and realised the man pictured was his customer.

The US Department of Justice had issued an indictment for Mr Halligen, from Surrey, alleging he tried to defraud a London law firm of £1.2m. The indictment says that he claimed the money was to help secure the release of two business executives from jail overseas but that Mr Halligen used the funds for his own benefit, including buying a mansion in Virginia.

His firm, Oakley International, was used by Madeleine's parents for about six months to look for their missing daughter.