Residents of caravan park accuse Rolls-Royce driving fraudster of ruining their retirement

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Residents of a caravan park owned by a Rolls-Royce driving fraudster have accused him of wrecking their retirement. Several owners of static caravans on Libby Durant’s Beechtree Park estate in Denny, near Stirling, have left the site, losing tens of thousands of pounds.

Residents, who shelled out £85,000 for properties, claim the caravans were supposed to have a mains gas supply and be set on concrete bases.Instead, their units were freezing cold and sinking into the ground, they claim.Several owners have given statements to the Record about their dealings with Durant, who has a directorship ban.The site is managed by Mel Smith and his wife Elaine, who is the sole director of a firm at the centre of a controversial planning application for 40 homes in Bothwell, Lanarkshire.The £25million plans propose building a housing estate on land surrounding Durant’s mansion in the affluent suburb.Thomas Harkin, 69, claims he dealt directly with Durant when he purchased a caravan in November.

However, he refused to move in.Security worker Thomas said he paid £85,000 for the mobile home but believes he is likely to get less than £45,000 it.He said: “This has wrecked my retirement.

Libby Durant assured me there was mains gas and all he would need to do is contact the gas company.“He also said the caravan would be set up on a concrete base.“We shook hands at this point.”Durant has denied saying there would be mains gas and concrete bases – even though a sales prospectus promised it.Thomas added: “We have taken the van off the site, it’s now with a reputable company who sell caravans and I’ve been told I may only get back £45k, if I am lucky.”A female resident who preferred to remain anonymous claimed Durant conducted the sales deal