15
Jun
Caravan firm under criminal investigation to be wound up
A Harrogate caravan company under investigation for fraud and money laundering is subject to a winding-up petition, according to papers filed in the Business and Property Courts in Manchester.
Steve Mann Caravans was founded by Steve Mann and his wife Alison in 1991 as a mobile caravan service and repair business. It operated initially from a workshop in Ilkley, but moved to larger premises on Claro Road in Harrogate in 2017. The firm branched out into second-hand sales and is believed to have been run in recent years by Mr Mann’s son, James.
The company traded successfully until early 2023, when its reviews on popular online portals such as Trustpilot and Google started to turn negative.
The company appears to have ceased trading in April, when North Yorkshire Police arrested three people as part of an investigation into fraud – a 38-year-old man, a 62-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man.
At the time of the arrests, the police issued a statement which ended:
If anyone believes they may be affected by the investigation, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information for reference number 12240018133.
If you do not wish to speak to the police, you can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or online via their website.
So far, there are believed to be 50 victims of the alleged fraud, most of them customers of the company.
The winding-up petition will be heard at the Business and Property Courts of Manchester at 10am on July 2, 2024.
Anyone intending to appear at the hearing, to support or oppose it, must tell the petitioner, LDF Finance No 3 Ltd, or the petitioner’s solicitor, Occasio Legal, by 4pm on July 1, 2024.
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