Fraudster held by Spanish police

Palmer was declared bankrupt in 2005

Timeshare fraudster John "Goldfinger" Palmer has been arrested at Tenerife airport by Spanish police.

He is being held on charges of cheating tourists, drugs and weapons trafficking, counterfeiting, bribing public officials and assault.

Mr Palmer, 57, was arrested in Tenerife after being jailed in 2001 for eight years for timeshare fraud.

He had previously been cleared of handling stolen gold from the £26m Heathrow Brinks Matt robbery in 1983.

Mr Palmer, nicknamed Goldfinger after the James Bond film villain, lived in Bath and was born in Birmingham.

He was arrested on Thursday.

In 2002, Palmer was ordered to pay £35m in confiscation, compensation and costs payments at the Old Bailey.

This was later overturned by the Court of Appeal.

In 2005 he was declared bankrupt with debits of £3.9m