ON ABDUCTOR’S RANSOM DEMAND Police took control of computer to hunt down kidnap gang
the boxes were ticked. I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and I always carry out checks – but there’s no way you could predict something like this.
“His studio was called Bellissmafique. I even checked the address on Google maps. Chloe was more than happy to take the job. And he paid £900 up front.”
But when she travelled to France in April, things went dramatically wrong. Mr Green says: “I saw on TV there had been terror attack in Paris, a policeman had been killed. I called Chloe straight away and told her to stay in her hotel.”
The next morning the photographer called and said his studio had been ransacked and the shoot was off. Herba then visited her at her hotel to give her £90 expenses for the day.
Mr Green says: “The photographer emailed me a couple of days later to apologise, but he later booked Chloe again for July 11. We discussed all the details again and he paid up. We even discussed sizes so he could get leathers for her. He sent pictures of his new studio with the same ‘Bellissmafique’ sign.” Chloe arrived in Milan on July 10 and stayed in the Hotel Galles in the centre. The shoot was due to take place at 8.30am on the 11th. That night Mr Green received a frantic call from Chloe’s mum.
WORRIED
He says: “I’d never spoken to her before. She was worried Chloe hadn’t been in touch. I sent messages to the photographer and called him but got no answer. I checked with the airline but Chloe hadn’t boarded the flight back to the UK. I then called her but her phone rang out.”
Next morning, worried Mr Green told Chloe’s mum to call the police. Then at about 10am he received the chilling ransom email.
It said: “We have Chloe and we are the Black Death Group. Unless you pay money to us by Sunday she will be put to auction where she may get sold to the Russian mafia.” The email also contained the names of three wealthy businessmen – celebrity agent Dave Read, 50, former Loaded magazine publisher Paul Baxendale-Walker, 53, and investment banker Rory McCarthy, 57. Mr Green says: “I was frozen to the spot. It said they could be approached to get the money. The names must have come from Chloe.” He called the British consulate in Milan. “They said they would get the Foreign Office special crimes unit involved.” Mr Green then received a call from the Met police, who had been contacted by Chloe’s mum.
“I told them what I had received and they passed it to my local force in the East Midlands. In no time at all the police were at my office.
“They took over all my emails and dealt with all contact with the kidnappers. They controlled everything. They were specially trained in negotiating, very calm, very professional.”
While the police were there they received an email with pictures of drugged Chloe flat out on the floor. During the negotiations the kidnap gang demanded £270,000, but the police, posing as Mr Green, told them £20,000 was as high as they could go.
“It was dreadful. I didn’t know what I could do to help,” says Mr Green. “They were in my office for days, but then on the Sunday they said they were standing down as there had been developments in Italy. They told me Chloe was safe. It was such a relief.”
Herba, 30, of Oldbury, West Midlands, had been arrested taking Chloe to the British Consulate.
Mr Green paid for Chloe’s flight back to the UK, but he says once she was back home she signed with a London publicity agent. “I feel aggrieved she has done this,” he says.
“I was speaking to her last Sunday on how to deal with everything, but when I rang her mum I was told someone else was representing her.
“I wish her all the best, but I hope this doesn’t come back to bite her.”
The email said Chloe would be sold to the Russian mafia. I was frozen to the spot MODELLING AGENT PHIL GREEN ON CHLOE KIDNAP DRAMA