Chateau robbery suspect an EX-SAS soldier

A FORMER SAS soldier was one of several suspects arrested over the hold-up of a British-german family in their French chateau more than a year ago.

French police arrested six people this week in different locations in connection with the hold-up in November last year at the Château de La Durantie near the village of Lanouaille, southwest France. Police found cannabis plants and resin and ecstasy pills when they made the arrests in the Dordogne region and in the town of Cognac in the neighbouring Charentes department.

The 57-year-old Briton arrested, whose name has not been made public, is suspected of having taken part in the robbery at the chateau.

The masked robbers spoke English and addressed the owners by name, police said, when they burst into the residence one evening at 10.15pm while the family were entertaining guests at din- ner and their children were sleeping upstairs. They threatened to kill the owners and stole several thousand euros in cash from an underground safe, as well as a watch, before escaping.

The owners are Victoria Heinig and Ralph, her husband, who bought the historic but rundown chateau for €1.6million (£1.4million) 10 years ago so that Victoria could extend her British-based catering business.