WITNESSES have started to give evidence at the trial of 12 people accused of a £4million mortgage fraud.

The group of defendants includes a conveyancing clerk, three mortgage brokers, seven property buyers and the wife of a broker.

They are accused of inflating property prices and applying for mortgages higher than the value of the properties concerned. The court has been told they used forged documents to obtain the money from lenders.

Properties were later repossessed the court heard.

The highest number of charges faced is 17, with four facing one allegation.

Addresses of the flats and houses include East Cliff Manor, Christ-church Road, Bournemouth, Studland Road, Bournemouth, Denmark Lane, Poole, Kingsbridge Road, Poole, Northey Road, Bourne-mouth, Richmond Park Avenue, Bournemouth, Riggs Gardens, Bournemouth and Cleveland Road, Bournemouth.

The defendants are as follows with the number of charges in brackets: Amanda Powis, 44, of Riggs Gardens, Bournemouth (17), Alex Chiswell, 33, of Tangmere Rise, Eastleigh (10), Lisa Chiswell, 34, of the same address, (2), Colin Zaczyk, 40, of Bassetwood Drive, Southampton (5), Peter King, 43, of Coventry Cresent, Poole, being tried in his absence (1), Dermot O’Malley-Keyes, 60, of Southbourne Road, Bournemouth (5), Madeleine O’Malley-Keyes, 59, of the same address (2), Lee Smith, 32, of Cavendish Place, Bournemouth (1), Paul Morgan, 36, of Etches Close, Bournemouth (1), Maxine Gribben, 38, from Luton (1), John Hudson, 51, of Commercial Road, Bournemouth (2) and Robert Baird, 51, of Juniper Close, Andover(2).