Northampton Town loan: Missing £10m probe 'has four million items of evidence'

The £10.25m loaned to Northampton Town was meant to redevelop the stadium

An inquiry into a football club's £10.25m missing loan is looking into "more than four million items of evidence", police said.

Northampton Borough Council loaned the money to Northampton Town in 2013 and 2014 to redevelop Sixfields stadium, but the funds seemingly vanished.

Allegations of theft, fraud, money laundering, bribery and misconduct in public office are being investigated.

Officers said the "conduct of more than 30 people" was being analysed.

Northamptonshire Police said it was working with "a number of other agencies and experts" and "substantial progress has been made" in the investigation.

A force spokesman said: "While the investigation continues Northamptonshire Police have taken action to restrain certain wider assets."

They said this was "different to the civil action brought by Northampton Borough Council".

The authority has taken action against ex-Cobblers chairman David Cardoza and his wife Christina to recover debts of £365,975.

They were ordered to pay back the money following a civil court trial in Birmingham in January.

The action is being contested by Christina Cardoza.

Police would not confirm which assets had been restrained or frozen.

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The work on the East Stand at Sixfields stalled in 2014 after contractors who were not paid pulled out.

The borough council has spent more than £1m on legal fees trying to claw back the missing loan, the BBC revealed last year.

The council apologised following a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2016, which said the loan was rushed through without sufficient checks.

So far seven people have been arrested in connection with the police inquiry which started in November 2015.

A further 23 people have been interviewed under caution.