FOUR people have been charged in connection with an alleged timeshare fraud which prosecutors claim spanned around five years and involves "hundreds of thousands of pounds".

Francis 'Frank' Madden, of Wellington Road in Bournemouth, Claire Garland, of Wood View in Wimborne, Keith Furneval, of Grosvenor Gardens in Boscombe, and Jean Furneval, of Wellington Road in Bournemouth, appeared at Poole Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning.

Jean Furneval, 60, is charged with participating in a fraudulent business carried on by sole trader and carrying on the business of a company with intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent purposes.

The charges relate a period of time between August 2011 and September 2014 and refer to company Central Marketing Ltd.

Keith Furneval, 47, is accused of a single charge of carrying on the business of company Glenleigh Ltd with intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent purpose between September 2012 and January 2015.

Prosecutors allege the company offered free weekends in return for attending a presentation, took advance fees for accommodation which were not refunded, sold holiday club memberships with no discernible value and requested additional fees to administer credit.

Both Garland, 28, and Madden, 60, are charged with participating in a fraudulent business carried on by a sole trader, three counts of carrying on the business of a company with intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent purpose between May 2012 and September 2014 relating to Central Marketing Ltd, Glenleigh Ltd and Reco Corp Ltd, seven counts of being a trader and failing to draw the withdrawal provisions to the attention of a consumer, seven counts of accepting consideration from a consumer before the end of the withdrawal period and concealing, disguising converting, transferring or removing criminal property.

There are 10 named complainants.

The defendants have not yet entered pleas to the charges against them and are due to appear before a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court in August for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

All are on unconditional bail.

Duncan Milne, prosecuting, alleged the defendants are part of a "large timeshare fraud taking place over four to five years".

The alleged amounts of money involved reach "hundreds of thousands of pounds", the court heard.