THE father of extradited Michael Turner, the Dorset man facing fraud charges in Hungary, says his son has been sold out by British politicians.

Michael Turner, a popular 27-year-old who works at the family’s Castle Inn pub, Corfe Castle, was frog-marched onto a Budapest-bound plane by Hungarian officers at Gatwick Airport yesterday.

His destination – in all probability a Hungarian jail cell.

Five years earlier, Michael’s Budapest-based marketing business, which he ran with co-defendant Jason McGoldrick, folded owing creditors around £20,000.

Before the pair’s forced departure from the UK, which they unsuccessfully fought against at London’s High Court last week, Michael said: “I’m going over there blind – we’ve asked and asked questions in this country about what will happen to me, about what we can take with us, whether we’ll get bail, but none of these questions have been answered by the Hungarian authorities.

“I’m expecting to go over there and start spending time in a cell. I’m scared, to be honest with you.”

Trouble started for the pair in around 2003, when their fledgling marketing company ran into difficulties.

Dad Mark, who blames the British authorities for signing away the rights of citizens in controversial European extradition regulations, said: “The British politicians have let us all down with this extradition agreement.

“We invested £100,000 of our family’s money in the venture, which was to establish western marketing methods out there, but it quickly ran into problems when the data purchased turned out to be corrupt.”

The company was established to help client companies set up lists of potential customers, using – among other methods – telephone data.

“So we decided to stop ploughing money into the business and it folded in 2004, leaving creditors owed £18,000,” said Mark.

“By then Hungary had joined the European Union and since has signed up to this European Extradition Treaty.

“So five years after the business folded the Hungarian authorities decided to make the creditors victims so they could issue a European arrest warrant for Michael and Jason.

“They are using this treaty as a debt collection tool, but we were led to believe this arrangement would be used only for serious criminals and terrorists.

“The Hungarian authorities are saying the creditors of the company Michael and Jason ran are the victims of a fraud – that Michael and Jason had no intention of fulfilling their obligations. But this is a ridiculous accusation to make.”

Michael and Jason gave themselves up voluntarily to officers from the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency at Gatwick Airport, before being handed over to Hungarian special forces officers.

Mark said: “This was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Family and supporters of both men fear the pair could be immediately jailed while they face up to 12 months awaiting trial. Michael has been told he could face up to three years in a Hungarian prison.

The Turners are now contacting local MPs and have vowed to protest his case. They have also started a website, freemikeandjason.co.uk, to drum up support.

Mark said: “All of our customers and most people in Corfe Castle have been brilliant in supporting our cause.”