Ex-tycoon Asil Nadir arrested

Former Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir was arrested in London today for an alleged breach of his court bail conditions, Scotland Yard sources said.

The businessman, who is on £250,000 (€294,000) bail ahead of a trial for multimillion-pound theft charges, was arrested at 2.30pm.

It is not yet known what the alleged breach is for – though his bail conditions include a curfew of midnight to 6am and reporting weekly to a local police station. A police spokesman said: “A 69-year-old man was arrested in central London today for a breach of his bail conditions.”

Nadir was originally charged with 66 offences of theft alleging a £34m fraud following the collapse of his Polly Peck empire.

He fled in 1993 to northern Cyprus before the counts – put into fewer condensed charges – could be put to him at trial.

But on July 30 this year Mr Justice Bean was told he wanted to return to fight the case.