The Avon Valley Railway Heritage Trust, a volunteer-led charity running the heritage railway between Bristol and Bath, is launching a Bounce Back Appeal as a result of falling victim to a serial fraudster.
The fraud, which has impacted the railway by approximately £50,000, came to light after financial anomalies were identified as having been carried out by Matthew Smith, a former staff member.
“Upon reporting the situation to the police, we have discovered that the individual’s true identity is Nathan Hudson, a wanted career criminal with a long history of scamming operations in Humberside and Edinburgh, among other locations since 2003,” explained the railway’s Chairman, Roger Eynon.
“Hudson created fake profiles and appears to have fabricated supporting documentation to maintain the illusion of his false identity. He used his well-liked character to gain trust and build ‘friendships’ with staff and volunteers across the organisation. Some staff and volunteers have also been financially impacted. This is likely a strategy he had successfully employed in his numerous previous scams.
“It’s been a difficult few months for all of us and we’re working hard to recover from Matthew Smith/Nathan Hudson’s actions. We’re launching our Bounce Back appeal to enable us to continue our vital restoration work this year and beyond so any money we receive is so massively appreciated at this time. People can find out more at www.avrht.org/bounceback.”
For enquires please contact the Avon Valley Railway Heritage Trust at email hidden; JavaScript is required
