Fourteen people, including a solicitor, surveyors, valuers and mortgage advisers, have appeared in court charged in connection with an alleged £20m conspiracy to defraud.

Fourteen people, including a solicitor, surveyors, valuers and mortgage advisers, have appeared in court charged in connection with an alleged £20m conspiracy to defraud.

It follows a two-year inquiry by North Wales Police into alleged multiple fraudulent mortgage applications.

The defendants made their first appearance before Flintshire magistrates on Thursday.

They were granted bail until a crown court hearing in April.

The defendants are Nicholas John Jones, 52, of Leeswood, Flintshire; Frank Edward Darlington, 59, of Kelnbrook, Barnoldswick, Lancashire; Christopher Hansen, 48, of Kinmel Bay, Conwy; Lisa Margaret Hansen, 41, of Kinmel Bay; Antony Lowry-Huws, 62, of Kinmel Bay; Raymond Charles Whalley, 36, of Prenton, Merseyside; Sheila Rose Whalley, 65, of Llanfairtalhaiarn, near Abergele; Linda Campbell, 40, of Glasgow; Michael Georgieff-Jones, 67, of Dyserth, Denbighshire; Susan Margaret Lowry-Huws, 58, of Kinmel Bay; David Arthur McMeekin, 54, of Riddrie, Glasgow; Brendan Derek Spencer-Whalley, 43, and Nicola Jane Spencer-Whalley, 38, of Royan, France; and George Walker, 57, of Colwyn Bay, Conwy.

All defendants were rebailed before a preliminary hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on 13 April.