AN INTERNATIONAL fraudster who was wanted for failed construction projects in France has been tracked down and caught by North Yorkshire Police.

Holiday park owner Joseph Burnside, from Hurworth Moor near Darlington, was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant after he was convicted by a French court.

He worked on more than 200 construction projects in France using a range of company names which showed a combined an income of roughly 900,000 euros in one year.

However, the courts deemed the work substandard and said he failed to deliver on some of the projects, which dated from 2005 and 2006.

The 32-year-old was charged with fraud and criminal conspiracy by the French authorities but he failed to appear at court in Rennes. He was convicted in his absence and a warrant was issued for his arrest in June of this year. Following specialist intelligence and investigative work, North Yorkshire Police tracked down Burnside in the Ryedale area. Specialist patrol officers stopped his vehicle in Helmsley marketplace on Tuesday and he was arrested.

He was remanded by City of Westminster Magistrates’ Extradition Court. He will attend a full extradition hearing on February 19 2019.