Brookside actor jailed for £13m modelling fraud after fleeing Spain

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 16:32 · Archive

Former Brookside actor Philip Foster has been extradited from Spain and jailed for nearly nine years for defrauding thousands in a fake modelling scheme.

Philip Foster, 51, a former Brookside actor, has been extradited from Spain and sentenced to nine years in prison for defrauding thousands through fake modelling agencies. He originally received eight and a half years in his absence in February 2025 following a Trading Standards investigation, then faced an additional six-month sentence for absconding.

Foster ran a network of fraudulent modelling agencies and photographic studios for more than eight years, targeting aspiring models and their parents. A six-year investigation found that more than 6,000 victims handed over money after being falsely promised paid modelling opportunities. The scheme generated around £13.5m to £13.6m, with Foster living a life of luxury in southern Spain, purchasing designer watches, a Porsche for his daughter, and being photographed on yachts.

Foster was arrested in Alicante in September 2024 during an armed police investigation into an unconnected murder. His home was searched and €22,000 and false documents were seized. He was extradited to the UK in October and held at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in London.

At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge David Dixon described Foster as a 'coward' for hiding abroad while his co-defendants came to court to be sentenced. Foster's barrister told the court that Foster's wife had died from cancer and his son Michael had been murdered around Christmas 2025.

How it is being reported

• Brookside star who went on run jailed for £13m modelling fraudA judge calls Philip Foster, who conned thousands of would-be models, a "coward" for hiding in Spain.BBC Merseyside · 16 Oct, 16:17
• Philip Foster labelled a 'coward' as he claims son was murdered in SpainThe former Brookside actor who went on the run in Spain has finally been jailed and told the court his son was murdered in SpainLiverpool Echo · 16 Oct, 15:05

In this story: Philip Foster · Brookside · Channel 4 · Sheffield Crown Court · Spain · National Crime Agency · HMP Wormwood Scrubs

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