Sir Geoff Hurst fronted homes campaign before it duped him out of £600,000

By Lucy Cockcroft Published: 12:50PM GMT twenty-two February 2010

Sir Geoff Hurst at Wembley Stadium Photo: PA

The former footballer became the "media figurehead" for the Royal Marbella Group and appeared in a promotional DVD to inspire alternative British people to invest, even receiving up a understanding on the properties himself.

Now Sir Geoff has assimilated forces with 6 alternative investors to sue Mark Cordner, indicted of creation "fraudulent or inattentive misrepresentations" while behaving as an representative in the deals, for a sum of �2 million.

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They lay that after being "deceived" by Mr Cordner, a "trusted friend" of Sir Geoff, they handed over the full squeeze cost upfront and but security for 7 off-plan apartments in a growth called Aloha Royal, nearby Puerto Banus, Marbella.

They explain they are right away in a on all sides where their rights over the apartments, purchased in 2003 and 2004, have possibly been broken or rendered worthless.

Giving justification at the High Court in London, Sir Geoff told how, underneath an picture rights agreement, he appeared in brochures and a DVD revelation intensity commercial operation to: "Forget about dodgy salesmen and timeshare touts It"s so protected to buy a home in the sun."

He additionally proclaimed: "I similar to a understanding and I similar to to know who I"m you do commercial operation with. To strengthen my picture we have regularly avoided any controversial associations. In Royal Marbella Group I have a partner who won"t let me down."

He exchanged fifteen personal appearances, and his publicity of Royal Marbella Group"s unit developments, for a half-price understanding on a 474,000 euro unit for himself and his wife, Lady Judith.

Sir Geoff, 68, additionally has a explain opposite Mr Cordner of Knebworth, Hertfordshire, outset out of a �350,000 loan opposite an additional apartment.

His attribute with the skill organisation soured in late 2006, when he became "suspicious" that all was not as it seemed, Mr Justice Kitchin heard.

He added: "They were observant I was investing in 400 properties, that I wasn"t, and they were observant the World Cup group were going to be over there, and I would be conceptualizing a golf march for ex-players, that was positively ridiculous," Sir Geoff said.

"Image rights contracts are sincerely usual these days with the immature players, but this was all new to me."

Sir Geoff combined that by 2006 he "believed rather than suspected" that a rascal was receiving place.

"We found out after we didn"t own any of the apartments at all," he said.

Peter Knox QC, for Sir Geoff and the alternative claimants, told the justice that, "unbeknown" to the seven, after the income was paid over, the site was sole to an additional Spanish company, who finished the construction of the apartments in 2007.

In 2008 there were problems with home and function licences carrying been unlawfully released and, worse, the new association "repudiated" the claimants rights to tenure of the apartments.

Then, Mr Knox said, the total growth tract incited out to have a twenty-four million euro debt attached, the owners association carrying slumped in to insolvency.

This rendered the apartments meaningless even if Sir Geoff and the others could infer their right of tenure as any equity in the homes would be swallowed up by the mortgage, the justice heard.

The movement was creatively brought opposite dual Spanish companies, dual American companies and Michael Hone Mr Cordner"s "boss" who the justice listened cannot be traced. It is right away focused on Mr Cordner, who denies any indiscretion and insists he acted merely as an representative in the deal.

The conference continues.