Edmonds inches closer to filing £64m fraud claim against Lloyds

NOEL EDMONDS is set to file his long-awaited legal case against Lloyds Banking Group within weeks as the TV star pursues the lender for £64m.

The former star told the Press Association that he was “set to go”, with formal legal action expected in late September or early October.

“This has taken longer than I would have liked but we are now set to go and I look forward to Lloyds Bank and its past and current executives being exposed in a court of law,” he said.

Edmonds is seeking financial redress from the lender after falling victim to fraud by former staff at the Reading branch of HBOS, which Lloyds rescued at the height of the financial crisis.

He is pursuing Lloyds for damages for losses allegedly suffered when his former business Unique Group was destroyed because of the fraud.

Jonathan Coad, solicitor for Mr Edmonds, said he was putting the finishing touches to the case before pressing ahead with filing.

“We will be filing papers to get Noel’s claim under way in late September in the Commercial Court,” he said.

“We’ve been putting in the most enormous amount of preparatory work, and gathering a significant amount of new information. We also have secured significant new witnesses.

Earlier this year, Edmonds secured a “seven-figure” sum from specialist litigation funder Therium to bankroll the suit.

A spokesman for the lender said: “Lloyds Banking Group made determined efforts to reach a consensual resolution with Mr Edmonds through mediation in late 2017, but this was not possible.

“We are still waiting for Mr Edmonds to file his legal claim.”