Dream Lodge Group director Simon Moir banned

Elm Farm Country Park in Thorpe-le-Soken was operated by Walsham Chalet Park

The boss of a holiday park chain which owed millions to investors has been banned from being a company director.

Walsham Chalet Park Limited, which ran eight lodge parks, went into administration in January 2019.

The lodges were rented to holidaymakers but also attracted investors who were promised "guaranteed returns" for putting in up to six-figure sums.

Director Simon Moir, based in Harlow, Essex, has been banned from acting as a company director for 14 years.

Its luxury sites included lodges with facilities such as indoor swimming pools and spas.

The Insolvency Service said £14.2m of investments was owed to 161 people, who had paid Walsham Chalet Park to invest in holiday chalets that were never built.

The government agency added: "Despite securing funds from investors, Simon Moir should have been aware that the lodges hadn't been built and that there was little or no prospect of them being completed."

The service, which worked with Deloitte to investigate the matter, said 30 investors had paid £1.8m to invest in a site in Gloucestershire, but added: "Simon Moir, however, should have been aware that the company did not own this site."

Sue Macleod, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: "Simon Moir presided over a scheme where people thought they were investing in holiday chalets with the promise of generous financial returns.

"But it was nothing more than a ruse and Simon Moir's actions have caused substantial losses to investors, many of whom have lost their life savings."

The company, which traded as Dream Lodge Group, operated:

• Fornham Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

• Elm Farm Country Park in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex

• Norfolk Park Homes in North Walsham

• Lazy Otter Meadows in Ely, Cambridgeshire

• Blossom Hill Park in Honiton, Devon

• The Sanctuary in Newbury, Berkshire

• Hilton Woods near Whitstone, Cornwall

• Woodlands Park in Westfield, East Sussex

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