Ex-Brookside star who fled after fraud trial arrested in Spain
Philip Foster, a former TV soap actor, has been arrested in Spain after fleeing the UK before his trial for a £13.6 million fraud. He was convicted in absentia for running sham modelling agencies that exploited over 6,000 aspiring models, and extradition proceedings are now underway to return him to the UK to serve his eight-and-a-half-year sentence.
Why it matters
This case highlights the prevalence of sophisticated fraud schemes targeting vulnerable individuals and the international cooperation required to bring fugitives to justice, even after they attempt to evade sentencing.
Image source, National Trading Standards Image caption, Philip Foster played Christian Wright in the Merseyside TV soap
A former TV soap actor has been arrested in Spain after skipping bail before his trial for a £13.6 million fraud that conned would-be models.
Philip Foster, 51, who played Christian Wright in the Liverpool soap, is wanted and must serve an eight-and-a-half year jail sentence after being convicted of fraud and money laundering last year.
He ran an operation involving sham modelling agencies that exploited the dreams of aspiring young models and their parents for more than eight years.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said that after jumping bail, Foster was convicted and sentenced in his absence at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025 . He was arrested by officers on Thursday in Alicante.
Extradition proceedings to return him to the UK are now under way, the NCA said.
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