FIVE members of the same North-East family have been charged with offences relating to an alleged £1m fraud.

The five, all involved in running two County Durham companies, will each face charges of conspiracy to money-launder when they appear before Consett Magistrates’ Court at 9.30am. on Tuesday, May 19.

The accused are 62-year-old Thomas Farrier, his wife Marie, 58, daughters Melissa Tunney, 30, and Melanie Farrier, 23, and the couple’s 32-year-old son-in-law James Tunney.

Mr Farrier and his daughter Melissa, who are both directors of the companies, will each face two additional charges of fraud.

A total of eight people – five men and three women – were originally arrested following a series of raids on houses and company premises in the Durham City area in December 2007.

It followed a long-running investigation by specialist detectives from Durham Constabulary’s economic crime unit.

The inquiry team examined the activities of two companies, Development and Research Initiatives Limited and Meteor Enterprises Limited, both with registered offices in Cornsay Colliery.

The two companies were paid a total of £986,031 in grants from the European Social Fund.

The money was intended to fund a series of initiatives and training courses across the North-East designed to help disadvantaged people find work.

Instead, the cash is alleged to have been used to buy land, houses and finance building work.

A large amount of cash is also thought to have been transferred abroad.

No further action is to be taken against three of the eight arrested in the raids of December 2007.